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Extraventricular cerebral anaplastic ependymomas.
O M Molina1, J L Colina, G D Luzardo
1Hospital Universitario de Maracaibo, Servicio de Neurologia.
Surgical Neurology
|June 16, 1999
Summary
Anaplastic ependymomas, uncommon brain tumors, present a challenging prognosis. Histologic features poorly predict tumor relapse, making outcome prediction difficult for these supratentorial growths.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Pathology
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Anaplastic ependymomas are rare cerebral tumors.
- This study analyzed 34 cases over 13 years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical behavior and prognostic factors of anaplastic ependymomas.
- To evaluate the correlation between histological features and tumor relapse.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 34 surgically treated anaplastic ependymoma cases.
- Exclusion of ependymoblastoma cases.
- Data collected from hospitals in Maracaibo, Venezuela (1983-1995).
Main Results:
- The series predominantly included adult patients with supratentorial tumors.
- Tumors were located distant from the ventricular system.
- Histological patterns showed limited value in predicting prognosis; only extreme cellularity and mitotic activity correlated with early relapse in sporadic cases.
Conclusions:
- Predicting prognosis for anaplastic ependymomas is challenging due to paradoxical behavior.
- Histological features are unreliable for prognosis prediction in most cases.