Arachnoiditis mimicking recurrent spinal ependymoma

ABSTRACT

Spinal arachnoiditis is a cause of persistent symptoms or recurrence of symptoms in 6-16% of postoperative patient. Spinal arachnoiditis mimicking ependymoma tumour recurrence in a young child is reported here. A 9-year-old child was operated 3 years back for extensive lumbar and sacral ependymoma. He presented with short history of rapidly progressive paraparesis and radiology was stongly suggestive of recurrent tumour in lumbar spinal canal. However, surgery revealed only CSF loculation in the spinal canal. No tumour was seen. The patient improved after adhesiolysis. Postoperative spinal arachnoiditis can mimic tumour recurrence in ependymomas. This is an interesting case observed by us and we advise that the possibility of spinal arachnoiditis should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of causes of neurological deterioration in previously operated cases of ependymoma