Spinal intramedullary ependymal cyst: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Spinal intramedullary ependymal cysts are extremely rare. Only seven pathologically proven cases have been reported in the literature.


METHODS
We present an 18-month-old female with thoracic spinal intramedullary ependymal cyst that was diagnosed pathologically.


RESULTS
Histological diagnosis was made by light microscopy after immunostaining. After partially removing the cyst wall and establishing communication between the cyst and the subarachnoid space, the patient improved neurologically.


CONCLUSIONS
For spinal intramedullary ependymal cyst we recommend diagnosis by MR imaging without myelography, then enucleation of the cyst, if possible. Otherwise, we remove the cyst wall as much as possible and create adequate communication between the cyst and the subarachnoid space.
Iwahashi
H
H
Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka Prefectural Hospital, Japan.
Kawai
S
S
Watabe
Y
Y
Chitoku
S
S
Akita
N
N
Fuji
T
T
Oda
T
T
D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004805:Ependyma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae