OBJECTIVETo discuss the early diagnosis and the treatment of chordoma in the jugular foramen area.

METHODSThree cases of chordoma in the jugular foramen area were diagnosis and reviewed retrospectively. The initial symptom was facial paralysis. Surgical removal was performed through the infratemporal fossa approach in 1 case, through petro-occipital approach in 2 cases. For repairing facial nerve defect, great auricular nerve was used in 1 case and facial-hypoglossal anastomosis was used in another 2 cases.

RESULTSThe tumor were totally removed in all 3 cases. The patients were follow-up for 6 months to 1 year and no recurrence was found. The function of facial nerve was II grade (House-Brackmann) in one patient and IV grade in another 2 patients. No complications occurred in 3 cases.

CONCLUSIONSAlthough chordoma originating from the jugular foramen area were extremely rare, it was possible to make early diagnosis through finding clinical feature and imaging methods. The final diagnosis depended on pathology. Generally, the different surgical approaches were used according to the size and position of the tumor. The classic infratemporal fossa approach for tumor removal and facial nerve reconstruction should be considered in the patients with chordoma around jugular foramen.