Ependymoma diagnosed in the first year of life in Japan in collaboration with the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery.

During 1987, 23 survey forms for ependymoma cases diagnosed in the 1st year of life were selected from 88 neurosurgical institutes in Japan in collaboration with the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery. There were no specific perinatal episodes. The most common clinical manifestations were symptoms of intracranial hypertension and hydrocephalus. Two of seven children with infratentorial ependymomas were alive, and all of the children with such supratentorial tumors were still alive. Of those with ependymoma, three of four in the total extirpation group, and three of seven in the subtotal or partial removal group were alive. The 1-year survival rate was 54% for ependymoma and 58.3% for ependymoblastoma. For 36% of the cases with ependymoma and 14.6% with ependymoblastoma, a 2-year survival rate was observed. Since the prognosis of these tumors is poor, they should be extirpated as often as possible. Collins' law held true in approximately half of the cases.