Myxopapillary ependymoma with anaplastic features: A case report with review of the literature

Outcomes and Pattern of Care for Spinal Myxopapillary Ependymoma in the Modern Era-A Population-Based Observational Study

(1) Background: Myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) is a rare tumor of the spine, typically slow-growing and low-grade. Optimal management strategies remain unclear due to limited evidence given the low incidence of the disease. (2) Methods: We analyzed data from 1197 patients with spinal MPE from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2000-2020). Patient demographics, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes were examined using statistical analyses. (3) Results: Most patients were White (89.9%) with a median age at diagnosis of 42 years. Surgical resection was performed in 95% of cases. The estimated 10-year overall survival was 91.4%. Younger age (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.09, p < 0.001) and receipt of surgery (HR = 0.43, p = 0.007) were associated with improved survival. Surprisingly, male sex was associated with worse survival (HR = 1.86, p = 0.008) and a younger age at diagnosis compared to females. (4) Conclusions: This study, the largest of its kind, underscores the importance of surgical resection in managing spinal MPE. The unexpected association between male sex and worse survival warrants further investigation into potential sex-specific pathophysiological factors influencing prognosis. Despite limitations, our findings contribute valuable insights for guiding clinical management strategies for spinal MPE.

Pediatric spinal intramedullary anaplastic myxopapillary ependymoma: a case report

A 6-year-old girl presented with a 1-week history of progressive upper and lower extremity weakness and bilateral upper extremity dysesthesia. Imaging demonstrated a 4.7 × 1.2-cm enhancing intramedullary lesion in the cervical spine from level C2 to C5 with associated cystic components and syringomyelia. The patient underwent a C2-C5 laminoplasty, with gross total resection of the intramedullary lesion. Histological analysis showed small to medium-sized epithelioid cells, with predominantly a solid architecture focally infiltrating into the adjacent spinal cord tissue. Focal papillary differentiation was present along with peri-vascular pseudorosettes, mucin microcysts, and globules of dense collagen. Focal anaplasia was noted with mitosis (5/10 HPF), focal necrosis, and elevated Ki67 10-15%. These findings were consistent with a myxopapillary ependymoma with anaplastic features. CSF cytology was negative for tumor cells. MYCN amplification was not present. She was treated with targeted proton-beam radiation therapy. This is the fourth case of an intramedullary anaplastic myxopapillary ependymoma to date, and the first case in the cervical spine reported in the literature.

Anaplastic myxopapillary ependymoma: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) is a pathological grade I tumor that arises in the filum terminale. MPE with anaplastic features is extremely rare, and only 5 cases have shown malignancy at the time of recurrence.

CASE SUMMARY

The patient (a 46-year-old woman) had undergone a MPE operation 30 years ago. After subtotal resection of the tumor located in L4-S1, it had a solid component that extended to the adjacent subcutaneous region. Histologically, the tumor consisted of a typical MPE with anaplastic features. The anaplastic areas of the tumor showed hypercellularity, a rapid mitotic rate, vascular proliferation, and connective tissue proliferation. Pleomorphic cells and atypical mitotic figures were occasionally observed. The MIB-1 index in this area was 12.3%. The immunohistochemical study showed immunoreactivity for vimentin, glial fibrillary acidic protein and S100. The morphological pattern and immunohistochemical profile were consistent with anaplastic MPE. The patient tolerated surgery well without new neurological deficits. She underwent local irradiation for the residual tumor and rehabilitation.

CONCLUSION

Although extremely rare, anaplastic MPE occurs in both pediatric and adult patients, similar to other ependymomas. At a minimum, close monitoring is recommended, given concerns about aggressive biological potential. In the future, further study is needed to determine the WHO classification criteria and genetic indicators of tumor progression. The possibility of malignant transformation of MPE should be taken into account, and patients with MPE should be treated with care and follow-up.

Myxopapillary Ependymoma with Anaplastic Features: A Case Series and Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Myxopapillary ependymomas (MPEs) with anaplastic features are rarely reported, with only 21 cases identified to date, and long-term recurrence is rarely presented. A case series is presented to expand understanding of this disease by describing 3 unique cases, including 2 that arose from MPE after a prolonged clinical course.

METHODS

A literature review was performed, and 3 cases of MPE with anaplastic features from our institution were included.

RESULTS

Patient 1 was a 13-year-old boy who presented with an avidly enhancing intradural lumbar mass. On gross total resection, the tumor was found to be a solid mass with areas of myxopapillary architecture and MIB-1 (Ki-67) index of 12%. Patient 2 was a woman who initially presented at age 22 with a lumbosacral tumor that was treated with surgery and radiation. A recurrent tumor was resected at age 24. At age 50, the patient presented with a large heterogeneous exophytic mass in the sacrum extending into the presacral space and Ki-67 index of 8%. This was treated with complete resection. Patient 3 was a man who initially presented at age 35 with a lower thoracic, upper lumbar mass at L2 extending into the sacrum. Following resection and radiation, a metastatic focus followed an indolent course until causing pain at the age of 48. Ki-67 index was 16%.

CONCLUSIONS

The presented cases of MPE with anaplastic features make a total of 24 cases on record in the medical literature and demonstrate 2 examples of late recurrence.

Myxopapillary ependymoma with interval postoperative CSF seeding: A report of an unusual case

Myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) is a unique slow-growing benign (WHO grade 1) subtype of spinal cord ependymoma arising predominantly in the filum terminale. Despite its benign nature, it occasionally disseminates through the cerebrospinal fluid and metastasizes to distant sites. Here, we report an extremely rare case of MPE with interval CSF seeding and metachronous metastasis in a 47 -year-old female presented as a gradually increasing low back pain for three months with bilateral radiculopathy down to the knees. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an intradural extramedullary spinal mass of iso-intense signal to the cord on T1 weighted-images (WIs), heterogeneous, predominantly hyperintense signal on T2WIs with homogenous enhancement after contrast administration. L2 laminectomy with gross total resection (GTR) was performed, and histopathological results confirmed the diagnosis of MPE. Adjuvant radiotherapy was administered, followed by series of MRI scans. 28 months after GTR, Lumbar MRI showed multiple tiny enhancing nodules in the cauda equina. 44 months follow-up whole spine MRI revealed multiple intradural extramedullary nodules throughout the entire spine. The largest one measures about 1.5cm opposite to T3 -T4 intervertebral disc space. The patient underwent T3 and T4 laminectomy and GTR under general anesthesia using microsurgical techniques, and the histopathological result came with the diagnosis of MPE.

Anaplastic myxopapillary ependymoma of the sacrum: A case report

Background

Myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) with anaplastic features is extremely rare. There are very few such case reports in the medical literature.

Case Description

A 23-year-old female presented with lower back pain, and both urinary and fecal dysfunction. The patient underwent gross total surgical excision of the MR documented expansile intrasacral tumor. The histology was compatible with a MPE containing anaplastic features.

Conclusion

The medical literature contains a few comparable cases of subcutaneous sacrococcygeal MPE with anaplastic components. Here, however, we have a young female with an anaplastic intrasacral MPE treated with gross total surgical excision.

Anaplastic Transformation in Myxopapillary Ependymoma: A Report of 2 Cases and Review of the Literature

Myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) is a relatively common neoplasm arising primarily in the filum terminale/lumbosacral region of the spinal cord. It is designated as a grade I tumor in the most recent WHO Classification of Tumours of the CNS, although aggressive clinical behavior can be observed, especially in cases arising in an extradural location. Anaplastic transformation in MPE is exceedingly rare with <20 examples reported in the English literature, and consensus on diagnostic features and definitive grading remain to be determined. Here, we present 2 cases of recurrent MPE with anaplastic features, both of which had histology consistent with conventional MPE as well as areas with significant atypia, frequent mitotic figures, elevated Ki-67 proliferation indices (>10%-50%), necrosis, and focal vascular proliferation. Targeted next-generation sequencing panels revealed no definitive pathogenic mutations or fusion proteins in either case. Copy number profiling, methylation profiling, and t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding were performed to investigate the molecular characteristics of these tumors. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first reported cases of MPE with anaplastic features with methylation profiling data. In addition, we review the literature and discuss common histologic and molecular findings associated with anaplastic features in MPE.

Intracranial ependymomas: molecular insights and translation to treatment

Ependymomas are primary central nervous system tumors (CNS), arising within the posterior fossa and supratentorial regions of the brain, and in the spine. Over the last decade, research has resulted in substantial insights into the molecular characteristics of ependymomas, and significant advances have been made in the establishment of a molecular classification system. Ependymomas both within and between the three CNS regions in which they arise, have been shown to contain distinct genetic, epigenetic and cytogenic aberrations, with at least three molecularly distinct subgroups identified within each region. However, these advances in molecular characterization have yet to be translated into clinical practice, with the standard treatment for ependymoma patients largely unchanged. This review summarizes the advances made in the molecular characterization of intracranial ependymomas, outlines the progress made in establishing preclinical models and proposes strategies for moving toward subgroup-specific preclinical investigations and treatment.

The pivotal role of sampling recurrent tumors in the precision care of patients with tumors of the central nervous system

Effective management of brain and spine tumors relies on a multidisciplinary approach encompassing surgery, radiation, and systemic therapy. In the era of personalized oncology, the latter is complemented by various molecularly targeting agents. Precise identification of cellular targets for these drugs requires comprehensive profiling of the cancer genome coupled with an efficient analytic pipeline, leading to an informed decision on drug selection, prognosis, and confirmation of the original pathological diagnosis. Acquisition of optimal tumor tissue for such analysis is paramount and often presents logistical challenges in neurosurgery. Here, we describe the experience and results of the Personalized OncoGenomics (POG) program with a focus on tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). Patients with recurrent CNS tumors were consented and enrolled into the POG program prior to accrual of tumor and matched blood followed by whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing and processing through the POG bioinformatic pipeline. Sixteen patients were enrolled into POG. In each case, POG analyses identified genomic drivers including novel oncogenic fusions, aberrant pathways, and putative therapeutic targets. POG has highlighted that personalized oncology is truly a multidisciplinary field, one in which neurosurgeons must play a vital role if these programs are to succeed and benefit our patients.