Chordoma
Chordoma in the tail of a ferret
(Courtesy of Dr. Lois Roth, Angell Memorial Animal Hospital) (97K)
Microscopic appearance of chordoma in the
tail of a ferret, note presence of "physaliferous cells"
(121K)
Case history.
A 4-year old female ferret presented with a smooth, hard
alopecic nodule
encompassing the tip of the tail. The owner reported that the nodule had grown slowly over the
last 3 months,
and appeared to be non-painful.
Discussion.
Chordomas are the most common musculoskeletal
neoplasm of the domestic ferret.
While classically found at the tip of the tail, chordomas have also been reported in the cervical
spine. These
neoplasms arise from remnants of primitive notochord found in the spinal column. They are
locally aggressive,
infiltrative neoplasms which destroy the vertebral body and invade adjacent tissues. For this
reason,
chordomas arising in the cervical spinal column inevitably result in limited cervical range of
motion and
neurologic deficits. Chordomas at the tail tip, while unsightly, cause little debility.
While all chordomas are considered potentially malignant, metastasis is uncommon and has
not yet been reported
in chordomas arising at the tail tip.
Chordomas have also been seen in the rat (which has a high rate of pulmonary metastasis), the
cat, and man.
Chordoma in the ferret is very similar to chordoma in man, which is also primarily found in the
coccygeal
region.
References:
- Allison N, Rakich P. Chordoma in two ferrets. J Comp Pathol 98:371-374, 1988.
- Dunn DG et al. A histomorphologic and immunohistochemical study of chordoma in
twenty ferrets
(Mustela putorius furo). Vet Pathol 28:467-473, 1991.
- Williams BH, Eighmy JE, Dunn, DG. Cervical chordomas in two ferrets. Vet
Pathol 30(2)204-206, 1994.
Chordoma in the tail of a ferret
(Courtesy of Dr. Lois Roth, Angell Memorial Animal Hospital) (97K)
Microscopic appearance of chordoma in the
tail of a ferret, note presence of "physaliferous cells"
(121K)