Imaging features of clear-cell ependymoma of the spinal cord.

A 10-year-old girl presented with increasing lower back pain without gait or sphincter disturbances. MRI demonstrated a large, intramedullary tumor at the level of the conus. The imaging findings were unlike those of a classic ependymoma or astrocytoma. Histopathologic examination demonstrated clear-cell ependymoma, which is a distinct entity. We found three cases of clear-cell ependymoma of the spinal cord reported in the literature. Clear-cell ependymoma of the spinal cord can be resected completely and needs to be recognized for its imaging features, benign course and favorable prognosis.