Exophytic ependymoma of the thoracic spine

Exophytic ependymomas of the spinal cord are very rare outside the filum or conus region. We present a patient with a thoracic spinal cord intradural extramedullary and intramedullary, World Health Organization grade II ependymoma. Gross total resection of the extramedullary component with subtotal resection of the intramedullary tumor was achieved, since there was no clear distinction between cord and tumor. The patient received postoperative external beam radiotherapy for residual tumor, and at a 2-year follow-up he is ambulatory without evidence of tumor recurrence.