Related Experiment Videos
Intradural extramedullary ventral thoracic spinal ependymoma: illustrative case
Tala S Alsindi1, Lamair A Albakri1, Abdulaziz A Basurrah1
1Neurosciences Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah.
Journal of Neurosurgery. Case Lessons
|August 10, 2026
Summary
Intradural extramedullary (IDEM) spinal ependymomas are rare but surgically treatable. Complete tumor excision offers a favorable prognosis for patients with this uncommon spinal cord tumor presentation.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Spinal Oncology
Background:
- Spinal cord ependymomas are typically intramedullary.
- Intradural extramedullary (IDEM) presentation is exceptionally rare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of surgically treated long-segment thoracic IDEM ependymoma.
- To review the literature on this uncommon spinal tumor presentation.
Main Methods:
- A 27-year-old female with progressive lower limb weakness underwent spinal MRI.
- A large IDEM mass was identified ventrally in the thoracolumbar spine.
- Surgical resection via laminoplasty (T9-L1) achieved gross-total tumor excision.
Main Results:
- Histopathology confirmed WHO grade 2 ependymoma.
- The patient experienced no postoperative complications.
- At 2-year follow-up, neurological function was normal with no recurrence on MRI.
Conclusions:
- IDEM ependymomas, while rare, are surgically treatable with favorable outcomes.
- Complete excision is key, but careful surgical technique is vital to minimize complications.
- Further research is needed on adjuvant therapy for IDEM ependymomas.