A Rare Case of Pediatric Lumbar Spinal Ependymoma Mimicking Meningitis

Abstract Spontaneous acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) from lumbar ependymoma in children is rare. We report a case of a14-year-old boy who developed sudden radicular low back pain while playing baseball. He was initially managed conservatively in a local hospital for suspected lumbar disc herniation, but later developed meningeal symptoms and fever before being referred to our hospital. There he underwent a diagnostic lumbar puncture in the emergency room; his cerebrospinal fluid suggested an SAH. Physical examination showed meningeal signs and cauda equina features. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis was negative for bacterial meningitis. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass characterized as a hemorrhagic lesion. The patient had an emergent evacuation of the mass via the posterior approach. Postoperatively, his symptoms resolved completely. The histological diagnosis was, surprisingly, an ependymoma (WHO grade II). This case is particularly interesting because of its rarity in children, and its pattern of presentation. Though bacterial or viral meningitis is the most frequent cause of meningeal features in children, SAH from a hemorrhagic spinal tumor should be considered. Ultimately, a high index of suspicion is needed for prompt diagnosis.