Back to Menu
1. Triad of increased intracranial pressure
Headache, projectile vomiting, and papilledema; in infants and young children, increased head circumference and a bulging anterior fontanelle may be observed.
2. Cerebellar and balance dysfunction
Ataxia with unsteady gait, inaccurate reaching, and slurred speech, commonly seen in posterior fossa tumors.
3. Brainstem and cranial nerve compression symptoms
Facial numbness, diplopia, facial palsy, dysphagia, and hoarseness, related to involvement of the floor of the fourth ventricle.
4. Spinal cord compression syndrome
Progressive limb weakness and numbness, band-like radicular pain, and bowel or bladder dysfunction.
5. Cervical nerve root irritation and forced head posture
Neck pain and stiffness, with involuntary head tilting adopted to relieve irritation.
6. Seizures
Supratentorial tumors may irritate the cortex, causing focal or generalized convulsions.
7. Focal motor and sensory deficits
Contralateral monoparesis or hemiparesis, or numbness and reduced sensation in corresponding regions.
8. Cognitive and neuropsychiatric changes
Frontal or temporal lobe involvement may cause personality change, memory decline, and slowed responses.
Jinshazhou Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine emphasizes that symptoms of ependymoma are warning signals of tumor growth and can lead to intracranial hypertension and injury to the brainstem or spinal cord, seriously threatening life and neurological function. Early recognition of vomiting, headache, and gait abnormalities in children is pivotal for diagnosis. Prompt imaging evaluation and maximal safe gross total resection are central to improving prognosis.
1. Triad of increased intracranial pressure
Headache, projectile vomiting, and papilledema; in infants and young children, increased head circumference and a bulging anterior fontanelle may be observed.
2. Cerebellar and balance dysfunction
Ataxia with unsteady gait, inaccurate reaching, and slurred speech, commonly seen in posterior fossa tumors.
3. Brainstem and cranial nerve compression symptoms
Facial numbness, diplopia, facial palsy, dysphagia, and hoarseness, related to involvement of the floor of the fourth ventricle.
4. Spinal cord compression syndrome
Progressive limb weakness and numbness, band-like radicular pain, and bowel or bladder dysfunction.
5. Cervical nerve root irritation and forced head posture
Neck pain and stiffness, with involuntary head tilting adopted to relieve irritation.
6. Seizures
Supratentorial tumors may irritate the cortex, causing focal or generalized convulsions.
7. Focal motor and sensory deficits
Contralateral monoparesis or hemiparesis, or numbness and reduced sensation in corresponding regions.
8. Cognitive and neuropsychiatric changes
Frontal or temporal lobe involvement may cause personality change, memory decline, and slowed responses.
Jinshazhou Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine emphasizes that symptoms of ependymoma are warning signals of tumor growth and can lead to intracranial hypertension and injury to the brainstem or spinal cord, seriously threatening life and neurological function. Early recognition of vomiting, headache, and gait abnormalities in children is pivotal for diagnosis. Prompt imaging evaluation and maximal safe gross total resection are central to improving prognosis.