Surgical management of supratentorial ependymomas

Introduction

Supratentorial ependymomas are rare neoplasms accounting for just ten to 15 new cases in the UK per year. This article discusses the surgical management of these tumours.

Materials and methods

We present our experience over the past 12 years looking, in particular, at the location, histological grading, postoperative complications, survival and progression-free survival. A literature review of publications discussing the surgical management of ependymoma over the past 10 years is then presented.

Results

The data shows that complete surgical resection confers a significant survival advantage. There appears to be conflicting data with respect to prognosis when comparing supratentorial to infratentorial ependymoma.

Conclusion

The authors suggest complete excision and advocate, where appropriate, the use of pre and intra-operative functional mapping and second-look surgery. The trade off neurological deficit in the pursuit of complete surgical excision in some instances should be considered.