Intracranial ependymoma with extremely rare extraneural metastasis.

Ependymomas account for 1-8% of overall brain tumors. They are most common at the age of 3-4 years. Their metastasis is very rare, and extraneural metastasis is even more unusual. In this report, the ependymoma localized in the posterior fossa with metastasis into femoral diaphysis in a 27-year-old male patient, who was treated in 2001, is presented. As we did not have any other cases of patients having a brain and spinal tumor with extraneural metastases even after 21 years, until 2022, this case was found worthy of being presented. When the literature was examined, it was observed that there is still no standard treatment after surgery for ependymomas and their metastasis. Due to their rarity, the general treatment of extraneural metastasis of ependymomas is also under discussion. It is recommended that clinicians consider admitting patients with rare or hard-to-treat tumors to ongoing clinical trials.

Recurrence Patterns and Surveillance Imaging in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors.

Surveillance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is routinely used to detect recurrence in pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors. The frequency of neuroimaging surveillance varies without a standardized approach. A single-institutional retrospective cohort study evaluated the frequency of recurrences. This study included 476 patients with the majority diagnosed with low-grade glioma (LGG) (n=138, 29%), high-grade glioma (HGG) (n=77, 16%), ependymoma (n=70, 15%), or medulloblastoma (n=61, 13%). LGG, HGG, and ependymoma patients more commonly had multiply recurrent disease ( P =0.08), with ependymoma patients demonstrating ≥2 relapses in 47% of cases. Recurrent disease was identified by imaging more often than clinical symptoms (65% vs. 32%; P =<0.01). Patients diagnosed with meningioma demonstrated the longest mean time to first relapse (74.7 mo) whereas those with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor and choroid plexus carcinoma tended to have the shortest time to relapse (8.9 and 9 mo, respectively). Overall, 22 patients sustained first relapse >10 years from initial diagnosis. With a higher tendency toward detection of tumor recurrence/progression on MRI surveillance in comparison to clinical progression, surveillance imaging is necessary in routine follow up of pediatric CNS tumor survivors. With some relapses >10 years from initial diagnosis, imaging beyond this time point may be useful in particular tumor types. While the study is limited in outcome analysis, earlier detection of recurrence would lead to earlier initiation of treatment and implementation of salvage treatment regimens which can impact survival and quality of life.

Convolutional neural network-based magnetic resonance image differentiation of filum terminale ependymomas from schwannomas.

PURPOSE: Preoperative diagnosis of filum terminale ependymomas (FTEs) versus schwannomas is difficult but essential for surgical planning and prognostic assessment. With the advancement of deep-learning approaches based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs), the aim of this study was to determine whether CNN-based interpretation of magnetic resonance (MR) images of these two tumours could be achieved. METHODS: Contrast-enhanced MRI data from 50 patients with primary FTE and 50 schwannomas in the lumbosacral spinal canal were retrospectively collected and used as training and internal validation datasets. The diagnostic accuracy of MRI was determined by consistency with postoperative histopathological examination. T1-weighted (T1-WI), T2-weighted (T2-WI) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (CE-T1) MR images of the sagittal plane containing the tumour mass were selected for analysis. For each sequence, patient MRI data were randomly allocated to 5 groups that further underwent fivefold cross-validation to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the CNN models. An additional 34 pairs of cases were used as an external test dataset to validate the CNN classifiers. RESULTS: After comparing multiple backbone CNN models, we developed a diagnostic system using Inception-v3. In the external test dataset, the per-examination combined sensitivities were 0.78 (0.71-0.84, 95% CI) based on T1-weighted images, 0.79 (0.72-0.84, 95% CI) for T2-weighted images, 0.88 (0.83-0.92, 95% CI) for CE-T1 images, and 0.88 (0.83-0.92, 95% CI) for all weighted images. The combined specificities were 0.72 based on T1-WI (0.66-0.78, 95% CI), 0.84 (0.78-0.89, 95% CI) based on T2-WI, 0.74 (0.67-0.80, 95% CI) for CE-T1, and 0.81 (0.76-0.86, 95% CI) for all weighted images. After all three MRI modalities were merged, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.93, with an accuracy of 0.87. CONCLUSIONS: CNN based MRI analysis has the potential to accurately differentiate ependymomas from schwannomas in the lumbar segment.

Brainstem toxicity after proton or photon therapy in children and young adults with localized intracranial ependymoma: A French retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Ependymoma is the third most frequent childhood braintumor. Standard treatment is surgery followed by radiation therapy including proton therapy (PBT). Retrospective studies have reported higher rates of brainstem injury after PBT than after photon therapy (XRT). We report a national multicenter study of the incidence of brainstem injury after XRT versus PBT, and their correlations with dosimetric data. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included all patients aged < 25 years who were treated with PBT or XRT for intracranial ependymoma at five French pediatric oncology reference centers between 2007 and 2020. We reviewed pre-irradiation MRI, follow-up MRIs over the 12 months post-treatment and clinical data. RESULTS: Of the 83 patients, 42 were treated with PBT, 37 with XRT, and 4 with both (median dose: 59.4 Gy, range: 53­60). No new or progressive symptomatic brainstem injury was found. Four patients presented asymptomatic radiographic changes (punctiform brainstem enhancement and FLAIR hypersignal), with median onset at 3.5 months (range: 3.0­9.4) after radiation therapy, and median offset at 7.6 months (range: 3.7­7.9). Two had been treated with PBT, one with XRT, and one with mixed XRT-PBT. Prescribed doses were 59.4, 55.8, 59.4 and 54 Gy. CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic radiographic changes occurred in 4.8% of patients with ependymoma in a large national series. There was no correlation with dose or technique. No symptomatic brainstem injury was identified.

Giant Myxopapillary Ependymoma with Multi-Site Neural Axis Metastases: A Rare Case with Suboptimal Outcome.

BACKGROUND Myxopapillary ependymoma is a rare type of slow-growing tumor that mainly occurs in the spinal cord, particularly in the region of the conus medullaris and the cauda equina. It originates from the ependymal glial cells found in the filum terminale. CASE REPORT We present a clinical case of a 44-year-old male patient who presented with symptoms of non-specific pain in the lower back persisting for the past 2 years. He did not report any specific neurological deficits or radicular symptoms. Unenhanced MRI of the lumbar spine showed a giant intradural, extramedullary, heterogenous, expansive tumor at the level L1-S4 with erosion of the sacral bone and invasion of presacral tissue. Based on its characteristic localization and growth pattern, suspicion arose for myxopapillary ependymoma. Biopsy confirmed the initial diagnosis. Partial resection of the tumor with laminectomy and laminoplasty was deemed necessary. Preoperative neural axis MRI showed contrast-enhancing lesions in the cerebellum and the cervical and thoracic spine; therefore, adjuvant radiation therapy was administered. Following the surgery, the patient experienced intermittent episodes of neurological deficits and required physiotherapy. Control MRI a year after the operation showed tumor growth and more metastases along the neural axis. CONCLUSIONS Complete surgical excision of the tumor is the preferred treatment approach, but there is a risk of recurrence even after total excision, so radiotherapy is recommended to minimize the risk of recurrence. Prior to surgery, it is essential to conduct MRI/PET/CT of the head and spine to assess the possibility of metastases.

Resection of an Intradural Intramedullary C7-T1 Tumor: Technical Nuances and Complication Management.

Primary spinal cord tumors are relatively rare, comprising approximately 4%-16% of all tumors originating from the central nervous system. These tumors are anatomically separable into 2 broad categories: intradural intramedullary and intradural extramedullary. Intramedullary tumors are composed predominantly of gliomas (infiltrative astrocytoma) and ependymomas.1-4 The primary treatment approach for these tumors is surgical resection, aiming to preserve neurologic function.5-9 In Video 1, the authors showcase a step-by-step approach for microsurgical resection of a primary spinal ependymoma, with emphasis on microsurgical technique and utility of adjunct equipment, such as intraoperative ultrasound and neuromonitoring.10,11 The patient consented to the procedure.

Development of a novel prediction model for differential diagnosis between spinal myxopapillary ependymoma and schwannoma.

Spinal myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) and schwannoma represent clinically distinct intradural extramedullary tumors, albeit with shared and overlapping magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics. We aimed to identify significant MRI features that can differentiate between MPE and schwannoma and develop a novel prediction model using these features. In this study, 77 patients with MPE (n = 24) or schwannoma (n = 53) who underwent preoperative MRI and surgical removal between January 2012 and December 2022 were included. MRI features, including intratumoral T2 dark signals, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), leptomeningeal seeding, and enhancement patterns, were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to distinguish between MPE and schwannomas based on MRI parameters, and a prediction model was developed using significant MRI parameters. The model was validated internally using a stratified tenfold cross-validation. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated based on the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. MPEs had a significantly larger mean size (p = 0.0035), higher frequency of intratumoral T2 dark signals (p = 0.0021), associated SAH (p = 0.0377), and leptomeningeal seeding (p = 0.0377). Focal and diffuse heterogeneous enhancement patterns were significantly more common in MPEs (p = 0.0049 and 0.0038, respectively). Multivariable analyses showed that intratumoral T2 dark signal (p = 0.0439) and focal (p = 0.0029) and diffuse enhancement patterns (p = 0.0398) were independent factors. The prediction model showed an AUC of 0.9204 (95% CI 0.8532-0.9876) and the average AUC for internal validation was 0.9210 (95% CI 0.9160-0.9270). MRI provides useful data for differentiating spinal MPEs from schwannomas. The prediction model developed based on the MRI features demonstrated excellent discriminatory performance.

A Fully Automated Deep-Learning Model for Predicting the Molecular Subtypes of Posterior Fossa Ependymomas Using T2-Weighted Images.

PURPOSE: We aimed to develop and validate a deep learning (DL) model to automatically segment posterior fossa ependymoma (PF-EPN) and predict its molecular subtypes [Group A (PFA) and Group B (PFB)] from preoperative MR images. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We retrospectively identified 227 PF-EPNs (development and internal test sets) with available preoperative T2-weighted (T2w) MR images and molecular status to develop and test a 3D nnU-Net (referred to as T2-nnU-Net) for tumor segmentation and molecular subtype prediction. The network was externally tested using an external independent set [n = 40; subset-1 (n = 31) and subset-2 (n =9)] and prospectively enrolled cases [prospective validation set (n = 27)]. The Dice similarity coefficient was used to evaluate the segmentation performance. Receiver operating characteristic analysis for molecular subtype prediction was performed. RESULTS: For tumor segmentation, the T2-nnU-Net achieved a Dice score of 0.94 ± 0.02 in the internal test set. For molecular subtype prediction, the T2-nnU-Net achieved an AUC of 0.93 and accuracy of 0.89 in the internal test set, an AUC of 0.99 and accuracy of 0.93 in the external test set. In the prospective validation set, the model achieved an AUC of 0.93 and an accuracy of 0.89. The predictive performance of T2-nnU-Net was superior or comparable to that of demographic and multiple radiologic features (AUCs ranging from 0.87 to 0.95). CONCLUSIONS: A fully automated DL model was developed and validated to accurately segment PF-EPNs and predict molecular subtypes using only T2w MR images, which could help in clinical decision-making.

Imaging features to distinguish posterior fossa ependymoma subgroups.

OBJECTIVES: Posterior fossa ependymoma group A (EPN_PFA) and group B (EPN_PFB) can be distinguished by their DNA methylation and give rise to different prognoses. We compared the MRI characteristics of EPN_PFA and EPN_PFB at presentation. METHODS: Preoperative imaging of 68 patients with posterior fossa ependymoma from two centers was reviewed by three independent readers, blinded for histomolecular grouping. Location, tumor extension, tumor volume, hydrocephalus, calcifications, tissue component, enhancement or diffusion signal, and histopathological data (cellular density, calcifications, necrosis, mitoses, vascularization, and microvascular proliferation) were compared between the groups. Categorical data were compared between groups using Fisher's exact tests, and quantitative data using Mann-Whitney tests. We performed a Benjamini-Hochberg correction of the p values to account for multiple tests. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients were categorized as EPN_PFA and 12 as EPN_PFB, with median ages of 2 and 20 years, respectively (p = 0.0008). The median EPN_PFA tumoral volume was larger (57 vs 29 cm3, p = 0.003), with more pronounced hydrocephalus (p = 0.002). EPN_PFA showed an exclusive central position within the 4th ventricle in 61% of patients vs 92% for EPN_PFB (p = 0.01). Intratumor calcifications were found in 93% of EPN_PFA vs 40% of EPN_PFB (p = 0.001). Invasion of the posterior fossa foramina was mostly found for EPN_PFA, particularly the foramina of Luschka (p = 0.0008). EPN_PFA showed whole and homogeneous tumor enhancement in 5% vs 75% of EPN_PFB (p = 0.0008). All mainly cystic tumors were EPN_PFB (p = 0.002). The minimal and maximal relative ADC was slightly lower in EPN_PFA (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Morphological characteristics from imaging differ between posterior fossa ependymoma subtypes and may help to distinguish them preoperatively. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This study provides a tool to differentiate between group A and group B ependymomas, which will ultimately allow the therapeutic strategy to be adapted in the early stages of patient management. KEY POINTS: • Posterior fossa ependymoma subtypes often have different imaging characteristics. • Posterior fossa ependymomas group A are commonly median or lateral tissular calcified masses, with incomplete enhancement, affecting young children and responsible for pronounced hydrocephalus and invasion of the posterior fossa foramina. • Posterior fossa ependymomas group B are commonly median non-calcified masses of adolescents and adults, predominantly cystic, and minimally invasive, with total and homogeneous enhancement.

"Soap bubble" sign as an imaging marker for posterior fossa ependymoma Group B.

PURPOSE: To investigate the predictive value of the "soap bubble" sign on molecular subtypes (Group A [PFA] and Group B [PFB]) of posterior fossa ependymomas (PF-EPNs). METHODS: MRI scans of 227 PF-EPNs (internal retrospective discovery set) were evaluated by two independent neuroradiologists to assess the "soap bubble" sign, which was defined as clusters of cysts of various sizes that look like "soap bubbles" on T2-weighted images. Two independent cohorts (external validation set [n = 31] and prospective validation set [n = 27]) were collected to validate the "soap bubble" sign. RESULTS: Across three datasets, the "soap bubble" sign was observed in 21 PFB cases (7.4% [21/285] of PF-EPNs and 12.9% [21/163] of PFB); none in PFA. Analysis of the internal retrospective discovery set demonstrated substantial interrater agreement (1st Rating: κ = 0.71 [0.53-0.90], 2nd Rating: κ = 0.83 [0.68-0.98]) and intrarater agreement (Rater 1: κ = 0.73 [0.55-0.91], Rater 2: κ = 0.74 [0.55-0.92]) for the "soap bubble" sign; all 13 cases positive for the "soap bubble" sign were PFB (p = 0.002; positive predictive value [PPV] = 100%, negative predictive value [NPV] = 44%, sensitivity = 10%, specificity = 100%). The findings from the external validation set and the prospective validation set were similar, all cases positive for the "soap bubble" sign were PFB (p < 0.001; PPV = 100%). CONCLUSION: The "soap bubble" sign represents a highly specific imaging marker for the PFB molecular subtype of PF-EPNs.

Intracranial ependymoma in an adult patient with multiple primary malignancies.

The incidence of multiple primary malignancies (MPM) is increasing, and therefore, it has become highly important for clinicians to consider the concept of MPM when treating oncology patients. In this case report, we follow the clinical course of a patient diagnosed with a new intracranial lesion, an ependymoma, on a background of MPM. We explore the barriers implicating the delay in her diagnosis, dissect the challenges in managing her disease and emphasise the importance of social determinants in optimising her care.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation of Common Spinal Intramedullary Tumours: Ependymoma and Astrocytoma.

This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Radiology and Imaging, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January 2015 to June 2016 in collaboration with Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Pathology of same hospital, to assess MRI findings of common IMSCTs and to find out the validity of MRI in the diagnosis of spinal ependymoma and astrocytoma, thereby differentiating these two common intramedullary entities. For this purpose, 40 patients aged from 15 to 60 years, who were diagnosed or suspected cases of having intramedullary spinal cord tumours were enrolled. These patients underwent preoperative MRI for evaluation of the spinal cord tumours during the study period in department of Radiology and Imaging. Also, patients were diagnosed by MRI as having IMSCTs incidentally was included. All of them were followed by histopathological examination of the same lesions after surgery. Among these 40 patients after exclusion for valid reason 28 cases were included as study population. MR images were obtained on a 1.5 Tesla (Avanto Magnatom, Siemens) unit with a spine surface coil. MRI findings were compared with histopathology after surgery keeping histopathology as gold standard. Out of 28 clinically and MRI diagnosed IMSCTs cases, 19 cases of ependymoma, 8 cases of astrocytoma and one diagnosed as hemangioblastoma by MRI. The mean age was 34.11±9.55 years, ranging from 15 to 56 years for ependymoma, 26.88±8.08 years ranging from 16 to 44 years for astrocytoma. Highest incidence (47.4%) was in between 31 to 40 years for ependymoma, 50.0% were in between 21-30 for Astrocytoma. On MRI majority 12(63.2%) of the cord ependymomas and majority 5(62.5%) of astrocytomas were in cervical region. While considering axial location ependymomas are mostly 17(89.5%) central and astrocytomas 5(62.5%) are eccentric in location. It was observed that out of 19 cases of ependymoma more than half 10(52.6%) had elongated shape, 12(63.1%) had well defined margin. Associated syringohydromyelia was present in 16(84.2%) cases. On T1WI 11(57.9%) and 8(42.1%) cases were iso and hypo respectively. On T2WI 14(73.7%) cases were hyper intense. After Gd-DTPA in most cases, 13(68.4%) cases showed diffuse enhancement. Noticeable and sizeable solid component observed among 13(68.4%) of the cases. Hemorrhage with cap sign was found in more than one third 7(36.8%) cases. Out of 8 cases of astrocytomas 4(50.0%) had lobulated shape, ill-defined margin 5(62.5%). T1WI: Iso 5(62.5%), hypo 3(37.5%), T2WI: hyper 5(62.5%), After Gd-DTPA: focal and heterogenous enhancement 3(37.5%) and rim enhancement 4(50.0%). Component: mixed 4(50.0%), cystic 3(37.5%) and solid 1(12.5%). Hemorrhage without cap sign 2(25.0%), associated syringohydromyelia 1(12.5%). In the case of evaluation of intramedullary ependymoma sensitivity of MRI in the present series is 94.44%, specificity 80.0%, Positive predictive value (PPV) 89.5%, Negative predictive value (NPV) 88.9% and accuracy 89.28%. In case of MRI evaluation of intramedullary astrocytoma sensitivity of MRI in the present study is 85.71%, specificity 90.47%, PPV 75%, NPV 95% and accuracy 89.2%. Thus present study shows MRI is a sensitive and effective noninvasive imaging modality in diagnosing common intramedullary spinal cord tumours.

A unique case of intracranial collision tumor composed of ganglioglioma WHO gr I and supratentorial ependymoma WHO gr III: case-based literature review.

PURPOSE: Intracranial collision tumor is a rare entity that represents the coexistence of two histopathological different tumor types in the same area without histological admixture or an intermediate cell population zone. So far, several cases of collision tumors with ganglioglioma as its component have been reported in the literature, while supratentorial ependymoma has never been reported as a collision tumor component. We are presenting a unique case of collision tumor in patient without previous history of head trauma, neurological surgery, radiotherapy, or phakomatosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 17-year-old male with no previous history of head trauma, neurological surgery, radiotherapy, or phakomatosis was presented to our clinic with grand mal seizure. Brain magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium contrast was done revealing a contrast-enhancing lesion of right frontal lobe closely related to dura, surrounded by perifocal edema. The patient underwent a gross total tumor resection. Histological examination revealed collision tumor with two distinct components: ganglioglioma and supratentorial ependymoma. CONCLUSION: To our best knowledge, no previous reports of collision tumor composed of ganglioglioma and supratentorial ependymoma in a single patient have been reported. We believe that this report could significantly contribute to further surgical practice as well as to treatment decision for these types of collision tumors.

Myxopapillary Ependymoma-a Case Report of Rare Multicentric Subtype and Literature Review.

Background: Myxopapillary ependymoma is a rare type of primary spinal tumor, it is distinctly a slow-growing tumor that originates in the conus medullaris, cauda equina, or film terminals and is rarely identified as a multicentric type. Myxopapillary ependymoma has a unique histological characteristic and is associated with a generally better prognosis. Objective: We present a case of a rare multicentric myxopapillary ependymoma. Case presentation: A 28-year-old male with 1-year history of low back pain and 3 months of radiating pain to left lower limb with perianal anesthesia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exhibited a large intradural intramedullary lesion from the level of the conus medullaris extending to the filum terminals at the level of T12 to L3 with smaller multiple enhancing lesions seen opposite to L4 and L5 level as well as within the exiting nerve roots, at the left side of L1/L2 and L2/L3 and right side of L3/L4 and L5/S1 level. The patient underwent surgical resection with significant improvement in symptoms and no tumor progression on follow up MRI scan. Conclusion: We hereby present a case of multicentric myxopapillary ependymoma with a literature review of the previous reported cases. We believe that our study will make a significant contribution to the literature and will be of interest to the readership regarding of the rarity of multicentric Myxopapillary ependymoma and it will help in decision making for the proper surgical Intervention on these kinds of cases.

Magnetic resonance imaging findings of intracranial extraventricular ependymoma: A retrospective multi-center cohort study of 114 cases.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial extraventricular ependymoma (IEE) is an ependymoma located in the brain parenchyma outside the ventricles. IEE has overlapping clinical and imaging characteristics with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) but different treatment strategy and prognosis. Therefore, an accurate preoperative diagnosis is necessary for optimizing therapy for IEE. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter cohort of IEE and GBM was identified. MR imaging characteristics assessed with the Visually Accessible Rembrandt Images (VASARI) feature set and clinicopathological findings were recorded. Independent predictors for IEE were identified using multivariate logistic regression, which was used to construct a diagnostic score for differentiating IEE from GBM. RESULTS: Compared to GBM, IEE tended to occur in younger patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified seven independent predictors for IEE. Among them, 3 predictors including tumor necrosis rate (F7), age, and tumor-enhancing margin thickness (F11), demonstrated higher diagnostic performance with an Area Under Curve (AUC) of more than 70% in distinguishing IEE from GBM. The AUC was 0.85, 0.78, and 0.70, with sensitivity of 92.98%, 72.81%, and 96.49%, and specificity of 65.50%, 73.64%, and 43.41%, for F7, age, and F11, respectively. CONCLUSION: We identified specific MR imaging features such as tumor necrosis and thickness of enhancing tumor margins that could help to differentiate IEE from GBM. Our study results should be helpful to assist in diagnosis and clinical management of this rare brain tumor.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features of Zinc Finger Translocation Associated-RELA Fusion Ependymoma Compared to Its Wild-Type Counterpart.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the predictive value of quantitative features extracted from conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in distinguishing Zinc Finger Translocation Associated (ZFTA)-RELA fusion-positive and wild-type ependymomas. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with pathologically confirmed ependymomas (17 patients with ZFTA-RELA fusions and 10 ZFTA-RELA fusion-negative patients) who underwent conventional MRI were enrolled in this retrospective study. Two experienced neuroradiologists who were blinded to the histopathological subtypes independently extracted imaging features using Visually Accessible Rembrandt Images annotations. The consistency between the readers was evaluated with the Kappa test. The imaging features with significant differences between the 2 groups were obtained using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed to analyze the diagnostic performance of the imaging features in predicting the ZFTA-RELA fusion status in ependymoma. RESULTS: There was a good interevaluator agreement on the imaging features (kappa value range 0.601-1.000). Enhancement quality, thickness of the enhancing margin, and edema crossing the midline have high predictive performance in identifying ZFTA-RELA fusion-positive and ZFTA-RELA fusion-negative ependymomas (C-index = 0.862 and area under the curve= 0.8618). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative features extracted from preoperative conventional MRI by Visually Accessible Rembrandt Images provide high discriminatory accuracy in predicting the ZFTA-RELA fusion status of ependymoma.

Combined telovelar posterolateral (far lateral) approach for the resection of a large posterior fossa ependymoma: how I do it.

BACKGROUND: Ependymomas are glial cell tumors whose recommended treatment, according to the recent European guidelines, is surgical. Patient outcomes, in terms of progression-free survival and overall survival, are strongly related to the extent of resection. However, in some cases, critical locations and/or large dimensions could make a gross total resection challenging. In this article, we describe the surgical anatomy and technique of a combined telovelar-posterolateral approach for the resection of a giant posterior fossa ependymoma. METHODS: A 24-year-old patient who presented to our institution complaining of a 3-month history of headache, vertigo, and imbalance. Preoperative MRI scans showed a large mass within the fourth ventricle, extending towards the left cerebellopontine angle and perimedullary space through the homolateral Luschka foramen. Surgical treatment was proposed with the aims of releasing the preoperative symptoms, obtaining the tumor's histopathological and molecular definition, and preventing any future neurological deterioration. The patient gave his written consent for surgery and consented to the publication of his images. A combined telovelar-posterolateral approach was then performed to maximize the tumor's exposure and resection. Surgical technique and anatomical exposure have been extensively described, and a 2-dimensional operative video has been included. RESULTS: The postoperative MRI scan demonstrated an almost complete resection of the lesion, with only a millimetric tumor remnant infiltrating the uppermost portion of the inferior medullary velum. Histo-molecular analysis revealed a grade 2 ependymoma. The patient was discharged home neurologically intact. CONCLUSIONS: The combined telovelar-posterolateral approach allowed to achieve a near total resection of a giant multicompartimental mass within the posterior fossa in a single surgical stage.

Differentiating between adult intracranial medulloblastoma and ependymoma using MRI.

AIM: To investigate the value of routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination combined with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the differential diagnosis of adult intracranial medulloblastomas and ependymomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRI images of 18 medulloblastomas and 18 ependymomas in adult patients were analysed retrospectively, and the differences in MRI features of lesions and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of solid lesions between the two groups were recorded. Independent sample t-tests and χ2 tests were used to analyse the differences in MRI signs and maximum ADC (ADCmax), minimum ADC (ADCmin), and mean ADC (ADCmean) values between the two groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the differential diagnostic efficacy and optimal threshold for each ADC value. RESULTS: Age, tumour location, and tumour enhancement were significantly different between adult medulloblastoma and ependymoma (p<0.05). The ADCmax (0.69 ± 0.11 versus 1.04 ± 0.20 × 10-3 mm2/s, p<0.001), ADCmin (0.57 ± 0.12 versus 0.96 ± 0.21 × 10-3 mm2/s, p<0.001), and ADCmean (0.62 ± 0.11 versus 1.00 ± 0.20 × 10-3 mm2/s, p<0.001) values were significantly lower in adult medulloblastoma than in ependymoma. The areas under the ROC curves of ADCmax, ADCmin, and ADCmean were 0.951, 0.957, and 0.966, respectively. The optimal ADCmean threshold was 0.75 × 10-3 mm2/s, with a sensitivity of 88.9% and a specificity of 88.9%. CONCLUSION: Routine MRI examination combined with DWI helps differentiate between intracranial infratentorial medulloblastoma and ependymoma in adults.