En bloc vertebrectomy and dural resection for chordoma:: A case report

Study Design. Case report. Objectives. Report a surgical technique for dural reconstruction after vertebrectomy. Summary of Background Data. None available. Methods. Clinical case analysis: chordoma from T12 to L2 with infiltration of the dura. Results. Forty-six months after vertebral resection and reconstruction, the patient is disease free. Conclusions. Wide en bloc resection is required for local control in chordoma. When the tumor permeates the dura, resection not including the dura is intralesional with high risk of local recurrence. Therefore, a proper wide resection consists in vertebrectomy removing the dura infiltrated by the tumor. The two-stage dural reconstruction had strongly limited the leakage of liquor during surgery, and the dural patch provided extra strength anteriorly, where the dural suture is more difficult.