Extra-axial sacral soft tissue giant cell ependymoma affecting a child: Case report and review of the literature

Neuropathology. 2021 Apr;41(2):139-145. doi: 10.1111/neup.12713. Epub 2021 Feb 10.

Abstract

An otherwise healthy eight-year-old girl presented with a mass in the soft tissue of the sacral region. The lesion was diagnosed as a vascular malformation on imaging studies, for which percutaneous sclerotherapy was attempted. The mass continued to grow and a complete resection was performed after four years. The pathological diagnosis was giant cell ependymoma (GCE). GCE is a term used to describe a rare histologic variant of ependymoma characterized by malignancy-like morphologic phenotype and indolent behavior. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of extra-axial soft tissue sacral GCE reported in a child.

Keywords: extra-axial; giant cell ependymoma; sacral; soft tissue.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Ependymoma / diagnosis
  • Ependymoma / pathology*
  • Female
  • Giant Cells / pathology
  • Humans
  • Sacrococcygeal Region / pathology*
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / pathology*

Supplementary concepts

  • Familial ependymoma