here we review the recent literature on molecular discoveries in ependymomas and pediatric diffuse gliomas ependymomas can now be categorized into three location related subgroups according to their biological profile posterior fossa ependymomas group a pfa and b pfb and supratentorial ependymomas although no recurrently mutated genes were found throughout these groups of ependymomas pfa exhibited a cpg island methylator phenotype pfb was associated with extensive chromosomal aberrations and the c11orf95 rela fusion gene was frequently observed in supratentorial ependymomas meanwhile it has now become apparent that pediatric diffuse gliomas have a distinct genetic status from their adult counterparts even though they share an indistinguishable histology in pediatric low grade diffuse gliomas an intragenic duplication of the portion of fgfr1 encoding the tyrosine kinase domain tkd and rearrangements of myb mybl1 were found recurrently and mutually exclusively as for non brainstem high grade tumors in addition to h3f3a tp53 and atrx mutations which were frequently observed in older children recurrent fusions involving ntrk1 ntrk2 and ntrk3 were reported in infants younger than 3 years of age moreover in diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas dipg recurrent somatic mutations of acvr1 were found in association with hist1h3b mutations.