Resection of Myxopapillary Ependymoma of the Filum Terminale: 2-Dimensional Operative Video

Abstract

We present the case of a 48-yr-old female who presented with persistent thigh pain and was found to have a heterogeneous mass caudal to the conus most consistent with a myxopapillary ependymoma. We performed L2-3 laminectomies for tumor resection. For this procedure, we used intraoperative ultrasound as well as neuromonitoring. This video illustrates the gross pathology of a myxopapillary ependymoma, effective circumferential blunt and sharp dissection of the cauda equina from the tumor, and identification, preparation, and sectioning of the filum terminale. This case also underlines the challenges of removing a large myxopapillary ependymoma when motor nerve rootlets are encapsulated in the tumor. In this case, we were obligated to enter the tumor capsule ventrally in order to dissect away cauda equina nerves passing through the tumor. The patient consented to be part of our research study

Disclosures

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The authors have no personal, financial, or institutional interest in any of the drugs, materials, or devices described in this article.