Ependymoma/subependymoma of the 4th ventricle
Has anyone been diagnosed as having an ependymoma/subepenymoma in the 4th ventricle of your brain? I’m a 40 year old female and a recent MRI showed a mass approximately 1.5 cm in its largest spot. My doctors are unsure which type it is at this point and after the last appointment we decided to monitor for 2 months (3 months from initial MRI) to see what it does! Doctors also feel I’m asymptomatic even though there were “symptoms” that made my initial doctor order the MRI. I’m also scared of what could happen during surgery as it’s very near my brain stem but at the same time I’m scared to leave it in there since we don’t know exactly what type it is. Anyone else have this type of tumor? What were your symptoms? Did you have surgery and were there any deficits? Going in for my next MRI in Rochester on December 13th.
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@emmadan2020, it sounds like you have unanswered questions that may benefit from getting a second opinion. Have you considered getting a second opinion?
Hi, I'm from Italy, 37 male.
On october 2024 I have been diagnosed with a subependymoma under the 4th ventricle, between the bulb and cerebellum, measuring 15 mm x 10. I had been experiencing for about 6 months mental confusion, short-term memory problems, difficulty speaking, understanding, and finding words, buzzing and ringing sounds, and pain behind the neck. After 3 months, the findings remained the same, but the symptoms worsened, and I started suffering from mental and physical fatigue, forcing me to sleep every 3-4 hours by taking naps. Surgery was highly discouraged (2 different opinions) and there is no other applicable therapy. In September (next follow-up with MRI), I will seek a third opinion, hoping that the symptoms stabilize, allowing me to live an acceptable life.