A case of tanycytic ependymoma with review of the literature

Tanycytic cells are common progenitor cells of both ependymal cells and astrocytes. It is commonly seen in pediatric population but all ages are affected. The common location of intracranial ependymoma is the fourth ventricle. We report an adult female who presented with intrathecal mass posterior to Lumbar 1 and Lumbar 2 intervertebral disk spaces. She underwent thoracic-lumbar (T12, L2-L3) laminectomy with excision of the intramedullary tumor. The tumor was dissected down to the tip of the conus medullaris and it was gross total resection of tumor. Final pathology confirmed portions of a moderately hypercellular neoplasm composed of bland, uniform cells with small round nuclei, stippled chromatin and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm that in some areas forms long fibrillary processes. She was not offered any adjuvant radiation treatment. In conclusion it is very important to distinguish from diffuse astrocytoma, which usually cannot be totally excised. Tanycytic ependymomas usually carry better prognosis as compared to other variant of ependymomas and astrocytomas. The objective of our case report is to document the radiological and typical ependymal features of the neoplasm and to increase awareness in oncology community.