Selective Dysarthria due to Clival Chordoma

Chordoma is a rare, slow-growing malignant bone tumor originating from the remains of the notochord and predominantly affecting the axial skeleton (especially the sacrum and occipital region). Clival chordomas represent 1-4% of intracranial neoplasms and only 0.2% of central nervous system tumors, so their prevalence is very low (1 case per 2 million inhabitants). The mean age of onset is in the 4th decade of life and its usual symptoms are diplopia due to involvement of the ocular pairs, dysphagia and headache (1,2). More rarely, it affects phonetics in isolation due to the involvement of the lower cranial nerves (hypoglossal or glossopharyngeal) (3-5).