Combination of myxopapillary ependymoma and fatty filum in a child with tethered cord syndrome

Abstract

The authors present a case of a child with a tethered spinal cord associated with a myxopapillary ependymoma. This 16-month-old boy presented to the authors' institution with developmental delays in standing and walking. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging demonstrated a fatty terminal filum and tethered cord. The child underwent surgical exploration of the spine with resection of the fatty filum tissue and release of the cord. Histological analysis of the fatty filum suggested the presence of a coexisting myxopapillary ependymoma. The child made a good recovery with no evidence of tumor recurrence after 4-years of follow-up with serial MR imaging. This unusual combination has not previously been reported in children, and to the authors' knowledge there is only one reported case in an adult. The likelihood of a common pathophysiological process in these conditions is also discussed.