3 Interesting Facts of Ependymoma
- Ependymoma presents with similar clinical presentation, owing to its common posterior fossa location; unlike medulloblastoma, it more often extends through foramina and into basal cisterns
- Characteristic CT and MRI findings are best used to differentiate ependymoma from medulloblastoma preoperatively; medulloblastoma enhancement is more homogeneous and presents with less calcification
- Ependymomas are highly heterogeneous with characteristic calcification, cystic areas, and hemorrhage on CT imaging; MRI imaging shows heterogeneous enhancement as solid tumor is isointense (T1-weighted image) to hyperintense (T2-weighted image) relative to white matter
- Ependymoma is definitively differentiated from medulloblastoma by histopathology