Cerebral ependymoma in a patient with multiple sclerosis: case report and critical review of the literature

BackgroundThe concurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and brain tumors is a rare but well-recognized condition. The radiologic evidence of the progressive evolution of a mega-plaque in a tumor has never been described. We report the first case of such an occurrence.MethodsA 27-year-old woman with a diagnosis of MS was referred to us for an intense frontal headache. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass lesion in correspondence of a black hole lesion previously diagnosed. The patient was operated on, with complete removal of the tumor documented by an intraoperative MRI. The histologic examination evidenced an ependymoma. Postoperative radiotherapy was performed.ResultsThe patient is well and recurrence-free at 2 years follow-up.ConclusionsThe present case, documenting the transformation of a mega-plaque into a tumor, suggests a cause-effect relationship between MS and brain tumors.