Clinical and prognostic characteristics of adult patients diagnosed with ependymoma in an oncology center

Keywords

ependymomas - neoplasms - resection

Summary - Ependymomas are neoplasms composed of neoplastic ependymal cells, manifesting predominantly in children and young adults. We report the clinical, epidemiological and anatomopathological findings of 32 cases of ependymomas in adults over 18 years of age from a Brazilian Oncology Center. Of the 32 cases analyzed, 12 occurred in male patients and 20 in female patients. Ages ranged from 25 to 72 years old, with an average of 48 years old. Regarding location, 19 cases affected the spinal cord, 6 occurred in the supratentorial location, 6 in the posterior fossa and 1 case with synchronous tumors. The signs and symptoms observed included low back pain (28% of patients), paresis (18% of patients), headache (20% of patients), sensory deficit (21%), seizures (3%), dizziness (3%) and cranial nerve palsy (3%). Thirty-one patients underwent surgical resection, 23 (71%) undergoing total resection and 8 (25%) partial resection, only 1 (3%) patient underwent only local biopsy. Of the 32 total patients, 18 underwent adjuvant radiotherapy. There was a total tumor recurrence rate of 28%. These findings are close to those found in international literature, supporting the understanding of the biological behavior of this tumor.

Corresponding author: Amanda Alencar Cavalcanti Carneiro da Cunha (e-mail: [e-mail]).