Ependymom des Filum Terminale im Kindesalter

Abstract

This is the case of an eight-year-old boy who showed symptoms involving a light paraspastic of the legs and pains in the small of the back. The X-ray of the lumbar vertebrae was normal but a Pantopaque myelogram showed a complete stop of the contrast medium at the level of the 2nd lumbar vertebra.

A large ependymoma of the caudal cone region, which extended from L 2 to S œ could be completely removed through a correspondingly large laminectomy. The tumor generated from the filum terminale which was resected (Fig. 1). The origin of the tumor was confirmed by the histological report (Fig. 2).

Spinal growth in childhood are rare, mostly malignant and therefore usually not responsive to surgical treatment. In this particular case the prognosis is auspicious since the tumor, a benign glioma (ependymoma) originated from the filum terminale which can be removed because of its functional insignificance. Consequently even in childhood any sign of a spinal process should instigate a corresponding diagnostic procedure which possibly can be followed by operative therapy.

Zusammenfassung

Es wird über den Fall eines Ependymoms des Filum terminale bei einem 8jährigen Jungen berichtet. Der ausgedehnte Tumor konnte insgesamt erfolgreich entfernt werden. Auf die günstige Prognose eines solchen Befundes, die mit der Entstehungsweise der Geschwulst zusammenhängt, wird hingewiesen. Der Fall wird anhand des entsprechenden Schrifttums diskutiert.

Keyword

Spinal tumors - ependymomas - filum terminale