IntracranIal and spInal ependymoma

abstract – Objective: Ependymomas are rare intracranial neuroepithelial tumors and the most common location is intramedullary. The aim was to analyze the characteristics of these tumors to determine the patients’ overall survival and the likelihood of recurrence. Method: Data of clinical presentation, tumor location, duration of symptoms, degree of resection and complementary treatment of 34 patients with intracranial ependymoma and 31 with intramedullary ependymoma who underwent surgery in the last ten years were collected and correlated with the recurrence time and overall survival. Results: There was statistically significant correlation between the degree of resection and intracranial tumor location, although it is not a hallmark of recurrence. Data analyses of intramedullary ependymoma did not show correlation with overall survival and likelihood of recurrence. Conclusion: The location of the intracranial tumor is connected with the degree of resection; however it is not a predictive factor to overall survival. KEy worDS: brain tumor, intramedullary tumor, ependymoma.ependimoma craniano e de medula espinhal: casuistica da Faculdade de medicina da Universidade de sao pauloresumo – Objetivo: os ependimomas sao tumores neuroepiteliais raros na localizacao intracraniana, porem um dos mais frequentes na medula espinhal. os autores analisaram as caracteristicas destes tumores para determinar a sobrevida e probabilidade de recidiva nos pacientes. Metodo: Elementos da apresentacao clinica, localizacao da lesao, duracao de sintomatologia, grau de resseccao e tratamento complementar de 34 doentes com ependimoma intracraniano e 31 de medula espinhal operados nos ultimos dez anos foram revisados e correlacionados com o periodo para a ocorrencia da recidiva e a sobrevida. Resultados: Houve correlacao estatistica apenas entre o grau da resseccao e a localizacao dos ependimomas intracranianos, embora, este nao se tenha mostrado um marcador de recidiva. A avaliacao dos dados clinicos dos pacientes com ependimoma medular nao permitiu definir correlacao com a sobrevida e sobre a probabilidade de recorrencia. Conclusao: A localizacao do tumor intracraniano esta relacionada ao grau de resseccao, entretanto isso nao foi um fator preditivo para a sobrevida. PAlAvrAS-cHAvE: tumor cerebral, tumor intramedular, ependimoma.