myxopapillary ependymoma

Epidemiology

• tend to be located in conus/cauda equina/filum terminale region
• most common intramedullary neoplasm in this region
• can occur in cervical-thoracic cord, lateral ventricle, brain parenchyma
• age range 6 to 82 years

Microscopic pathology

• cuboidal to elongated uniform cells
• radial arrangement in papillary manner around vascularized stromal cores
• mucoid matrix
• microcysts
• mitoses low to absenthistopathology

Electron microscopy:

• complex interdigitations
• abundant basement membrane structures
• few cilia
• aggregation of microtubules within rough ER complexes

Immunophenotype

GFAP + S 100 + vimentin + cytokeratin -

Clinical manifestations

• back pain, often long duration

Radiology

• MRI: circumscribed enhancing lesion

Differential diagnosis

• chordoma
• myxoid chondrosarcoma
• paraganglioglioma
• mesothelioma
• papillary adenocarcinoma
• pilocytic/pilomyxoid astrocytoma
• chordoid glioma

More general terms

• ependymal neoplasm