Chordoma is a soft gray-pink growth that arises from notochordal remnants. Chordomas are locally invasive, but they do not metastasize.
Neurologic examination can reveal variable cranial nerve involvement.
Associated signs and symptoms include facial pain, conduction deafness and cerebellar compression. Neck flexion producing pain radiating to the base of the skull is characteristic for these tumors. Our case is one of a young woman who had complaints of occipital-temporal throbbing headache with associated photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea. Despite treatment, the headache worsened, and the patient had left-sided ptosis. Examination revealed complete third cranial nerve palsy.