Tanycytic ependymoma of the spinal cord: Case report

Tanycytic ependymoma is a rare fibrillary variant of ependymoma with preferentially located along the length of spinal cord. this report documents a 41-year-old woman underwent surgical treatment for a cervical intramedullary tumor. magnetic resonance imaging showed intramedullary cystic lesion,in the cervical spine. histologically the tumor was consisted of markedly elongated spindle-shaped cells,which were immunopositive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and ema. although only a few in number,detection of ependymal rosettes led the diagnosis as a tanycytic ependymoma. since a complete resection was performed at surgery,no further treatment was proposed. it is important for both management and prognosis,to distinguish pathologically tanycytic ependymoma from pilocytic astrocytoma and schwannoma.