Sacrococcygeal chordoma: histochemical findings

Abstract

Two cases of chordoma of the sacrococcygeal region have been histochemically evaluated. In both cases an irregularly shaped stellate cell, containing large amounts of glycogen, is the prevailing cell type. Neoplastic cells interact with an extracellular matrix consisting of a collagenous framework and a heterogeneous family of glycosaminoglycans with a prevalence of chondroitin sulfate chains and, to a smaller extent, of hyaluronate molecules. We emphasize the value of these data in order to differentiate this tumor from other sacrococcygeal neoplastic lesions.