Ependymoblastomas arise from the cells lining the central ventricular system and the
central canal of spinal cord.
It is very rare type of primitive glioma which has a characteristic regular pattern of
solid cords around thin walled blood vessel, forming an arrangement of perivascular
pseudorosettes and/or typical ependymal rosettes in local areal. It is rapidly growing and
diffusely infiltrating tumor, especially in childhood. Over than half of all
ependymoblastomas occur in young ages. Ependymoblastomas have teen described a few
different terms and different definitions by several authors, such as malignant
ependrmoma, anaplas tic ependymoma, ependymoma grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ and so on.
We experienced one case of primitive glioma which can be regarded as
ependymoblastoma arising at the cerebellar vermin in eight year old boy, who has
complained of vomiting, ataxia and dialopia. The signs of increased intracranial pressure,
i.e. Papilledema and separation of suture line in brain scanning were noted.
The submitted sepecimen (S-83-1785) consisted of five fragments of pinkish brown
irregular shaped soft tissue, 1 cm in the length of the largest
Microscopically the tumor mass was composed of relatively uniformed glial cells,
arranged in perivascular area, forming multiple layer and vascular changes with partly
necrotic granulomatous area. The individual cells are small round with hyperchromatic
nuclei and significant number of mitotic figures.
The above clinicopathologic findings are compatible with ependymoblastoma.
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