Myxopapillary ependymoma of the fourth ventricle

Myxopapillary ependymoma is a benign variant of ependymoma, occurring almost exclusively in the cauda equina region of the back. Here, we report an extremely rare case of primary myxopapillary ependymoma, and also present our review of the existing literature. This tumor occurred in the fourth ventricle of a 62-year-old woman. The patient had complained of dizziness and general weakness, persisting for the prior 6 months. The patient underwent surgical removal of the tumor. Imaging studies of the spine were normal. Microscopically, the cut sections of the tumor revealed papillary formation surrounding areas containing both hyalinized blood vessels and myxoid degeneration. The histological findings were consistent with those of tumors originating in the filum terminale. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and she was doing well on follow-up, 15 months after surgery. This is the second reported case of fourth ventricular myxopapillary ependymoma.