Chordoma is a primary bone cancer arising on the midline from the skull base to the sacrum. Diagnosis is often delayed because of insidious onset and nonspecific symptoms. Chordomas appear histologically low-grade but are highly invasive and often recur locally. Management centers primarily on radical en bloc surgical resection when possible. Radiation therapy using protons and/or photons is often necessary because complete resection is seldom possible due to critical location and invasion of the cancer cells into surrounding structures. No approved medical therapy exists. The high rate of recurrence is reflected by a median survival of 6 to 7 years. This article reviews the clinical management of chordoma and discusses ongoing research in the field.

Spontaneous pneumothorax in pregnancy is a rare and life-threatening condition. In this report, a case of spontaneous pneumothorax occurring at 34 weeks’ gestation in a healthy 34-year-old primigravida is described. She had typical complaints of chest pain and dyspnoea and diagnosis was made by chest X-ray which showed an extensive pneumothorax in the right side. Pneumothorax recurred twice over approximately three weeks. A caesarean section secondary to small pelvic parameters was scheduled with the chest tube in situ and a healthy 2.5 kg female infant was delivered. We discuss spontaneous pneumothorax during pregnancy and review the literature.

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