Myxopapillary ependymoma: a short compilation with a case report

Abstract

Myxopapillary ependymomas (MPEs) are a variant of the spinal ependymomas, which are common in the conus medullaris and filum terminale in the sacrococcygeal region. Approximately 13 % of the spinal ependymomas are myxopapillary ependymomas. These tumors are usually a gradual development. It is mostly localized in the intradural space and may cause local pressure on the paravertebral soft tissue and neighboring bone. MPEs may be found in extraspinal, extradural, subcutaneous tissues, in the cervical and thoracic vertebras and in the brain. The prognosis of the small lesions are usually good and a complete resection is usually curative. A local extension to the soft tissue and a dissemination to the subarachnoidal space may be encountered as a result of the incomplete resection. Our objective was to remind this rare tumor with the occasion of an adult patient.