Presurgical role of MRI tractography in a case of extensive cervicothoracic spinal ependymoma

BACKGROUND: Intramedullary spinal ependymoma is a tumor, hardly characterizable with conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging only. MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with three-dimensional fiber-tracking reconstructions allows the evaluation of the relationship between neoplasm and white matter fiber tracts, being a powerful tool in presurgical planning. We present DTI findings in a case of a young female with an extensive cervicothoracic spinal ependymoma. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient complained of a 2-month history of acute urinary retention, weakness and numbness on the lower limbs and the upper left limb. She underwent MR imaging that showed an extensive cervicothoracic spinal mass, difficult to characterize with conventional MR sequences. DTI showed peripherally displacement of fibers, without involvement of the spinal cord, findings consistent with an ependymoma. The patient underwent surgery with a complete resection “en bloc” of the lesion, which showed clear cleavage planes, as detected by DTI. Histopathological findings confirmed the diagnosis of ependymoma. CONCLUSIONS: DTI is a useful tool in presurgical planning, helping in differentiating not infiltrating neoplasms, such as spinal ependymomas, from other infiltrative and more aggressive neoplasms, which are considered not resectable.