How are ependymomas classified?
Researchers classify ependymomas based on the degree of variability in a tumor cell’s appearance (pleomorphism), the number of tumor cells proliferating (undergoing mitosis), crowding of the tumor cells (increased cellularity) and the amount of tumor infiltration (invasion) into surrounding brain tissue. The WHO classifies ependymomas into a low-grade variety named “ependymoma” (also called a “WHO grade II ependymoma”) and a more malignant type called “anaplastic ependymoma,” also classified as a “WHO grade III ependymoma”. See our Pathology page for more information.
