Rapidly Enlarging Pediatric Cortical Ependymoma

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Neuro-oncology
• Neuroradiology

Background:

• Supratentorial cortical ependymomas are exceptionally rare in pediatric patients.
• Seizures are a common presenting symptom of pediatric brain tumors.

Observation:

• A 10-year-old boy presented with generalized seizures due to a rapidly growing supratentorial cortical ependymoma.
• Initial MRI at age 5 showed a small lesion with no change after 2 years, but a large tumor developed by age 10.

Findings:

• Histopathological diagnosis confirmed ependymoma.
• Complete tumor resection resulted in no neurological deficits.
• The tumor demonstrated significant growth over a 3-year period.

Implications:

• Cortical ependymoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pediatric cortical mass lesions presenting with seizures.
• Continuous monitoring is recommended for pediatric patients with cortical lesions, even if asymptomatic, due to potential tumor progression.