title: Myxopapillary ependymoma of the posterior mediastinum.
abstract: A left paravertebral mass discovered incidentally on routine examination in a 39-year-old woman is described. Computerized tomography studies revealed a 7 x 6 cm, well circumscribed, noncalcified soft tissue mass with lobular borders abutting the left inferior pulmonary vein and descending aorta. It was not possible to determine the exact anatomic location of the mass based on the imaging studies as both peripheral lung tumors and posterior mediastinal lesions may exhibit the imaging findings described here. At thoracotomy, the mass was seen to be well circumscribed, focally attached to the pleura but without involvement of lung parenchyma, and situated in the left posterior mediastinum. On histological examination, the lesion showed the classical features of myxopapillary ependymoma. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed this impression by demonstrating strong positivity of the tumor cells for S-100 protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and CD99 and negative staining with other differentiation markers. A review of the literature with a discussion of the histologic and radiologic differential diagnosis of these lesions is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Universidad Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Estrozi
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Queiroga
authors.forename: Carlos E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Bacchi
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Faria Soares de Almeida
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lucas de Carvalho
authors.forename: Gerritt M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lageman
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosado-de-Christenson
authors.forename: Saul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suster
mesh_terms: D000071443:12E7 Antigen; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000071443:12E7 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; C061828:CD99 protein, human; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009418:S100 Proteins