Posters— Diagnostic Imaging/Pathology

SACROCOCCYGEAL SOFT TISSUE EPENDYMOMA

Carluke I, Murray SA, Malcolm AJ (The North of England Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Service, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K., NE7 7DN)

Ependymomas are glial derived tumours arising mostly intracranially or within the spinal cord, cauda equina or filum terminale. Extra spinal ependymomas do occur, although rarely, and have been described arising within the pelvis and mediastinum, as well as the sacrococcygeal region. Sacrococcygeal ependymomas represent about 5% of all primary ependymomas. Metastatic behaviour is not predictable either clinically or histologically, although both recurrence and metastasis occur more frequently than in the intradural variety. Recommended treatment is wide excision.

We describe 4 cases of sacrococcygeal ependymoma treated with wide excision. Histological appearances were typical with immunocytochemical staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) strongly positive.