The effectiveness of US-guided PLA for HCC tumors < or =4 cm turned out to be negatively affected by both operator-related (the beginning of the operator's experience with the technique) and tumor-related factors (non-naïve, infiltrating HCC tumors).

MSCT with a single-phase technique is an accurate and reproducible method for diagnosis and evaluation of disease resectability in patients with suspected PC, ensuring optimal tumour-to-pancreas contrast and maximal opacification of the main peripancreatic arterial and venous structures.

RIASSUNTO -Il cordoma condroide è una rara variante del cordoma, tumore raro ed a lento accrescimento, derivante da residui della noto corda; tale variante si localizza esclusivamente al basicranio, colpisce individui più giovani, e presenta prognosi migliore rispetto al cordoma classico.Nel presente studio è riportato un caso di cordoma condroide con localizzazione molto rara, centrata sul forarne giugulare ed estesa in sede extracranica in regione latero-cervicale profonda, studiato con TC edRM.La localizzazione anomala esibita dal tumore ha reso possibile una resezione chirurgica in un sol tempo usando un approccio combinato trans-giugulare laterale e latero-cervicale.Il caso mostra da un punto di vista anatomo-patologico chiare caratteristiche di differenziazione condroide; il sospetto diagnostico è stato confermato con le tecniche immunoistochimiche. SUMMARY -Chondroid chordoma is a rare variant of chordoma, a rare slow-growing tumour of notochordal cell rests. Unlike classic chordoma, arising predominantly in the sacroèoccyeal region, chondroid chordoma is localised in the skull base, mainly in the sphenoido-occipital regio n, in younger individuals and has a better prognosis than classic chordoma. This variant, long deemed a low grade chondrosarcoma, was distinguished as a separate entity with the advent of immunohistochemistry.We describe a patient presenting with a chondroid chordoma in very rare localisation arising in the jugular foramen and extending extracranially into the parapharyngeal region. The tumour was resected and analysed histologically.Neuroradiological investigation (CT and MR) disclosed a lesion with an inhomogeneous structure located in the right lateral portion of the posterior fossa compressing the cerebellar tissue and extending into and eroding the jugular foramen. Through the jugular foramen the mass extended towards the laterocervical region to occupy the carotid compartment. The unusual tumour location allowed surgical resection in one sitting using a combined lateral trans-jugular and laterocervical approach.From an anatomopathological standpoint, our case has clear-cut features of chondroid differentiation including foci of calcification and enchondral ossification. For this reason, the tumour cannot be distinguished from low grade chondrosarcoma morphologically, but requires immunohi;tochemical techniques which disclose a codified pattern of epithelial markers like cytokeratin, EMA and CEA in chordoid tumours.