ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF SACRAL CHORDOMA - CHARACTERIZATION OF VARIOUS EVOLUTIVE STAGES OF TUMORAL CELLS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 22  (2) , 193-204
Abstract
EM study of a human sacral chordoma, the cells of which contain variable amounts of glycogen, allowed characterization of different stages in the evolution of the tumor cells. Young cells contain almost no glycogen. Progressively it becomes more abundant and fills up almost the whole cytoplasm. At the end of evolution glycogen disappears while the cell becomes vacuolated. Enzymatic lysis of this polysaccharide could be the cause of the vacuolation which finally produces the physaliferous cell. Comparison between cells of chordomas and those of the normal notochord shows more morphological similarities in the development of these cells. These data may be useful for a classification of the various types of chordomas.

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