Ependymal tumors

Abstract

A group of glial tumors exhibiting ependymal differentiation including subependymoma (WHO grade I), myxopapillary ependymoma (WHO grade I), ependymoma (WHO grade II; variants including cellular, tanycytic, papillary, and clear cell), and anaplastic ependymoma (WHO grade III). Most are sporadic; ependymomas may be seen as part of neurofibromatosis type 2, a hereditary cancer predisposition syndrome with germline mutation of NF2/Merlin gene. Recent evidence supports radial glia as the candidate cell of origin for ependymomas; subependymomas appear to derive from subependymal glial precursors. © 2010 Springer-Verlag New York.