[Differential diagnosis of tumor-induced facial paralysis. Chordoma of the craniocervical transition].

A chordoma rarely arises in the head and neck: it is considered as malignant because of its clinical behaviour and histological appearances. Usually chordomas paralyze the third to the sixth cranial nerves. We report a paralysis of the facial nerve, an event not so far reported as an early symptom of chordoma of the head and neck.