Neuropathology tumours
The article covers tumours in neuropathology. Tumours are a large part of neuropathology. Cytopathology of CNS tumours is dealt with in the article CNS cytopathology.
There are separate articles for peripheral nerve sheath tumours and pituitary/peri-pituitary lesions.
Brain tumours - overview
Adult
Four most common types of brain tumours:[1]
- Metastatic brain tumours (barely edges out primary tumours)
- Lung (most common).
- Breast.
- Melanoma.
- Renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
- Glioblastoma (previously known as glioblastoma multiforme).
- Anaplastic astrocytoma.
- Meningioma.
Children
- Astrocytoma.
- Medulloblastoma.
- Ependymoma.
Location (most common)
Certain tumours like to hang-out at certain places:[2]
- Cerebrum:
- Cortical based - oligodendroglioma.
- Grey-white junction - metastases.
- White matter - astrocytoma, glioblastoma.
- Periventricular - CNS lymphoma.
- Cystic - ganglioglioma, pilocytic astrocytoma, pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma.
- Cerebellum:
- Midline/central - medulloblastoma.
- Cystic lesion - pilocytic astrocytoma (younger individual), hemangioblastoma (older individual).
- Solid lesion (older individual) - metastasis.
- Spinal cord:
- Ependymoma, glioblastoma.
- Filum terminale - myxopapillary ependymoma, paraganglioma.
Filum terminale
- Filum terminale = bottom end of the spinal cord - has a limited differential.
DDx:[3]
Cerebellopontine angle
- Abbreviated CP angle.
DDx:[4]
- Schwannoma.
- Meningioma.
- Dermoid cyst/epidermoid cyst.
- Ependymoma.
- Choroid plexus papilloma.
Cystic tumours
DDx:[5]
- Pilocytic astrocytoma.
- Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma.
- Ganglioglioma.
- Hemangioblastoma.
- Craniopharyngioma.[6]
Primary versus secondary
- AKA (primary) brain tumour versus metastatic cancer.
Primary
Glial tumours:
- Cytoplasmic processes - key feature.
- Best seen at highest magnification - usu. ~1 micrometer.
- Processes may branch.
- Ill-defined border/blend with the surrounding brain.
- Large (lymphoid) cells, ergo usu. not a difficult diagnosis.
- ~2x size of resting lymphocyte, nucleoli.
- Lesion predominantly perivascular.
Secondary
Carcinomas:
- Well-demarcated border between brain and lesion - key feature.
- No cytoplasmic processes.
- Usu. have nuclear atypia of malignancy.
- Nuclei often ~3-4x the size of a RBC.
- +/-Glandular arrangement.
- +/-Nucleoli.
Common neuropathology tumours in a table
Type | Key feature(s) | Imaging | History | Notes | IHC | Images |
Normal tissue | cells regularly spaced, no nuc. atypia | small lesion? / deep lesion? | variable | missed lesion? | nil | |
Reactive astrocytes | astrocytes with well-demarcated eosinophilic cytoplasm, regular spacing, no nuc. atypia | small lesion? / deep lesion? | variable | missed lesion / close to a lesion; non-specific pathologic process - need more tissue | nil | |
Astrocytoma (grade II or worse) | glial processes (esp. on smear), nuclear atypia (size var. ~3x, irreg. nuc. membrane, hyperchromasia), no Rosenthal fibres in the core of the lesion † | often enhancing (suggests high grade), usu. supratentorial, usu. white matter | usu. old, occ. young | very common, esp. glioblastoma | IDH-1+/-, GFAP+ | |
Metastasis | sharp interface with brain, often glandular, +/-nucleoli, no glial processes | often cerebellular, well-circumscribed | usu. old | often suspected to have metastatic disease | TTF-1, CK7, CK20, BRST-2 | |
Meningioma | whorls, psammomatous calcs, nuclear inclusions | extra-axial + intradural | old or young | may be diagnosed on smear, DDx: schwannoma, choroid plexus | EMA, PR, Ki-67 | |
Schwannoma | cellular areas (Antoni A), paucicelluar areas (Antoni B), palisading of nuclei (Verocay bodies) | extra-axial + intradural | old or young | need frozen section to Dx, DDx: meningioma | S100 |
† Rosenthal fibres at the periphery of a lesion are a non-specific finding seen in chronic processes.
Brain metastasis
Infiltrative astrocytomas
Overview
- Low-grade (diffuse) astrocytomas (Grade II).
- Anaplastic astrocytomas (Grade III).
- Glioblastoma (Grade IV).
Notes:
- Non-infiltrative gliomas:
- Pilocytic astrocytoma (WHO Grade I).
- Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumour (DNT), (WHO Grade I).
Microscopic
- Glial processes - key feature.
- Thin stringy cytoplasmic processes - best seen at high power in less cellular areas.
- No Rosenthal fibres within the tumour itself.
Images:
- Endothelial proliferation in a GBM (ouhsc.edu).
- Endothelial proliferation (ouhse.edu).
- Gemistocytic astrocytoma - several images (upmc.edu).
Notes:
- Glial vs. non-glial tumours:
- Glial: "blends into brain"/gradual transition to non-tumour brain.
- Non-glial: no glial processes.
- Rosenthal fibres within the tumour... make it into a pilocytic astrocytoma.
- Rosenthal fibres may be seen around a (very) slow growing tumour and represent a reactive process.
- Inflammatory cells and macrophages should prompt consideration of an alternate diagnosis (e.g. cerebral infarct, multiple sclerosis) - esp. if this is a primary lesion.[9]
Grading
Nuclear pleomorphism present:
- At least grade II (diffuse astrocytoma).
Mitotic figures present:
- At least grade III (anaplastic astrocytoma).
Microvascular proliferation or necrosis with pseudopalisading tumour cells:
- Grade IV (glioblastoma AKA glioblastoma multiforme).
Notes:
- Pseudopalisading tumour cells = high tumour cell density adjacent to regions of necrosis; palisade = a fence of poles forming a defensive barrier or fortification.
Images:
- Glioblastoma:
- Anaplastic astrocytoma:
Table of common gliomas - grading
Histomorphologic comparison of common gliomas:
Entity | Rosenthal fibres / EGBs |
Nuclear atypia | Mitoses | Necrosis or MVP | Infiltrative | Image |
Pilocytic astrocytoma | yes | usu. no | usu. no | usu. no | no | [1] |
Low-grade astrocytoma | no | yes | no | no | yes | image? |
Anaplastic astrocytoma | no | yes | yes | no | yes | [2] |
Glioblastoma | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | [3] |
Notes:
- MVP = microvascular proliferation.
- EGBs = eosinophilic granular bodies.
IHC
- GFAP - should stain cytoplasm of tumour cells and the perikaryon (nuclear membrane).
- Ki-67 - usu. high >20% of cells.
- p53 - often +ve.
- IDH1 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1).
- +ve in tumours that arose from low-grade gliomas.[10]
- Image: IDH1 +ve in glioblastoma (WP).
- +ve in tumours that arose from low-grade gliomas.[10]
Notes:
- IDH1 and IDH2 mutations - better survival.[11]
Pilocytic astrocytoma
Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma
- Abbreviated PXA.
General
Features:
- Classically in the temporal lobe in children and young adults.
- Associated with seizures.
- Moderately aggressive (WHO Grade II).[12]
Gross
- Temporal lobe - classic.
- Usually assoc. with the leptomeninges,[12] i.e. superficial.
Microscopic
Features:[13]
- Marked nuclear atypia.
- Eosinophilic granular bodies - very common.[12]
- Inflammation (chronic).
Notes:
- No mitoses.
- No necrosis.
Images:
- Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma - several images (upmc.edu).
- Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma with anaplasia - another case - several images (upmc.edu).
- Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma with anaplasia - case 3 - several images (upmc.edu).
- Cerebellar pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma - case 4 - several image (upmc.edu).
Stains
- Reticulin stain - intercellular, prominent.[14]
Image:
IHC
- GFAP +ve.
- CD68 +ve.
Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumour
- Abbreviated DNT.
Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma
- Abbreviated SEGA.
Pilomyxoid astrocytoma
Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumour
- See also: Extrarenal malignant rhabdoid tumour.
- Commonly abbreviated AT/RT.
- May be written atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour, i.e. without the forward slash, or atypical teratoid-rhabdoid tumour (AT-RT).
Oligodendroglioma
Oligoastrocytoma
General
- Mixed tumour.
Microscopic
Features:
- Astrocytoma-like and oligodendroglioma-like:
- Oligodendroglioma-like cells = round nucleus, peri-nuclear clearing.
- Astrocytoma-like cells = non-ovoid/elongated nucleus.
DDx:
- Anaplastic astrocytoma.
- Oligodendroglioma. (???)
IHC
- Oligodendroglioma-like cells: MAP-2 +ve (cytoplasm).
- Astrocytoma-like cells: GFAP +ve (cytoplasm, nuclear membrane).
Others:
- Ki-67 ~10%. (???)
- p53 - focally +ve. (???)
- IDH-1 +ve. (85%)
Meningioma
General
- Very common.
- May be part of a syndrome.
Microscopic
Features (memory device WCN):
- Whorled appearance - key feature.
- Calcification, psammomatous.
- Nuclear pseudoinclusions - focal nuclear clearing with a sharp interface to unremarkable chromatin.
Grading: see meningioma.
Peripheral nerve sheath tumours
A classification:[15]
- Benign:
- Malignant:
Schwannoma
General
- Tumour of tissue surrounding a nerve.
- Axons adjacent to the tumour are normal... but may be compressed.
Microscopic
Features:[15]
- Antoni A:
- Cellular.
- 'Fibrillary, polar, elongated'.
- Antoni B:
- Pauci-cellular.
- Loose microcystic tissue.
- Verocay bodies - paucinuclear area surrounded by palisaded nuclei.
- In the GI tract: classically have a peripheral lymphoid cuff.[16]
Images:
Notes:
- Several subtypes exist.
Neurofibroma
General
- May be a part of neurofibromatosis 1.
- Composed of Schwann cells, axons, fibrous material.[15]
Microscopic
Features:
- Spindle cells lesion.
- See Neurofibroma article for details.
Image:
Ganglioneuroma
- Not to be confused with ganglioglioma.
General
- May be retroperitoneal.
- Occasionally found in the GI tract - may form colonic polyp.
- Multiple ganglioneuromas may be due to multiple endocrine neoplasia IIb.
Classification:
- In a grouping known as neuroblastic tumours which includes:[18]
- Ganglioneuroma (benign).
- Ganglioneuroblastoma (intermediate).
- Neuroblastoma (aggressive).
Gross
- Solid.
- White.
- Firm.
- Well-circumscribed.
- May be nodular.
Images:
Microscopic
Features:
- Ganglion cells - key feature.
- Large cells with large nucleus.
- Prominent nucleolus.
- Large cells with large nucleus.
- Disordered fibrinous-like material.
- Eosinophilic granular bodies.[19]
Images:
- Ganglioneuroma (WC).
- Ganglioneuroma (webpathology.com).
- Ganglioneuroma (webpathology.com).
- Normal ganglion - high mag. (WC) .
See: adrenal ganglioneuroma, colonic ganglioneuroma.
IHC
Features:[20]
- Spindle cells: S-100 +ve.
- Ganglion cells: NSE, synaptophysin, NF.
Ependymoma
Subependymoma
Choroid plexus papilloma
Choroid plexus carcinoma
Chordoma
Hemangioblastoma
Medulloblastoma
- Tumour of cerebellum - key feature.
- Morphologically identical supratentorial tumours are called primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET).
Primitive neuroectodermal tumour
- AKA primitive neuroepithelial tumour. (???)
General
- Abbreviated PNET.
- Should not be confused with peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumour (abbreviated pPNET[21]), AKA Ewing sarcoma.
Microscopic
Features:
DDx:
Images:
- Primitive neuroectodermal tumour - several images (upmc.edu).
- GBM with PNET component - several images (upmc.edu).
Embryonal tumour with abundant neuropil and true rosettes
- Abbreviated ETANTR.
CNS lymphoma
Classification:
- Primary CNS lymphoma.
- Non-primary CNS lymphoma - see lymphoma article.
General - primary CNS
- Classically periventicular distribution.
- Usually large B cell; can be considered a type of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
- Prognosis of CNS (DLBCL) lymphomas worse than nodal (non-CNS) DLBCL.[23]
Microscopic
Features:
- Large cell lymphoma.
- Size = 2x diameter normal lymphocyte.
- Nucleolus - common.
- Perivascular clustering.
Images
www:
IHC
Can be subclassified in GCB (germinal centre B-cell-like) and non-GCB by CD10, Bcl-6, MUM1/IRF-4, and Bcl-2.[23]
Common pattern:
- CD20 +ve - key stain.
- CD3 -ve.
- Ki-67 ~40%.
- Bcl-6 +ve.
- Bcl-1 -ve.
Neurocytoma
General
- Rare.
Microscopic
Features:[24]
- Pineocytomatous/neurocytic rosette = irregular rosette with a large meshwork of fibers (neuropil) at the centre.[25]
- Similar to Homer-Wright rosette.
- Perinuclear clearing.
- Well-defined cell borders.
DDx:
- Oligodendroglioma - do not have the characteristic rosettes.
- Ganglioglioma.
- Ependymoma.
Images:
- Neurocytoma (ouhsc.edu).
- Neurocytoma - several images (upmc.edu).
- Neurocytoma - cerebellar - several images (upmc.edu).
IHC
- Synaptophysin +ve.
- Most glial tumour -ve.[26]
Central neurocytoma
- Abbreviated CNC.
Ganglioglioma
- Not to be confused with ganglioneuroma.
General
Microscopic
Features:
- Atypical neurons.
- Atypical glia.
Images:
Lhermitte-Duclos disease
- Abbreviated LDD.
- AKA dysplastic cerebellar gangliocytoma.[28]
- AKA dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum.
Ganglioneuroblastoma
General
- Uncommon.
- Part of the neuroblastic tumours group which includes:[18]
- Ganglioneuroma (benign).
- Ganglioneuroblastoma (intermediate).
- Neuroblastoma (aggressive).
Microscopic
Features:
- Ganglion-like cells with a prominent nucleolus.
- Small undifferentiated cells with scant cytoplasm.
Images:
IHC
- NSE +ve -- small cells.
Lesions of the sella turcica
Lesions of the sella turcica, the pituitary gland environs, is a topic for it self. The differential diagnosis for lesions in this area includes:
- Pituitary adenoma.
- Craniopharyngioma.
- Rathke cleft cyst.
- Germ cell tumour.
- Meningioma.
- Pilomyxoid astrocytoma - in children.
See also
References
- ↑ http://neurosurgery.mgh.harvard.edu/abta/primer.htm
- ↑ URL: http://www.msdlatinamerica.com/ebooks/DiagnosticNeuropathologySmears/files/4ce563fb7e8e48fc9ed8b42e296a7747.gif and http://www.msdlatinamerica.com/ebooks/DiagnosticNeuropathologySmears/sid117213.html. Accessed on: 2 November 2010.
- ↑ JLK. 31 May 2010.
- ↑ R. Kiehl. 8 November 2010.
- ↑ URL: http://path.upmc.edu/cases/case320/dx.html. Accessed on: 14 January 2012.
- ↑ URL: http://www.pathologyoutlines.com/Cnstumor.html#cystsgeneral. Accessed on: 14 January 2012.
- ↑ Rong Y, Durden DL, Van Meir EG, Brat DJ (June 2006). "'Pseudopalisading' necrosis in glioblastoma: a familiar morphologic feature that links vascular pathology, hypoxia, and angiogenesis". J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 65 (6): 529–39. PMID 16783163.
- ↑ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/palisading
- ↑ URL: http://path.upmc.edu/cases/case79/dx.html. Accessed on: 2 January 2012.
- ↑ Yan H, Parsons DW, Jin G, et al. (February 2009). "IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in gliomas". N. Engl. J. Med. 360 (8): 765–73. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa0808710. PMC 2820383. PMID 19228619. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2820383/.
- ↑ Houillier C, Wang X, Kaloshi G, et al. (October 2010). "IDH1 or IDH2 mutations predict longer survival and response to temozolomide in low-grade gliomas". Neurology 75 (17): 1560–6. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181f96282. PMID 20975057.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Fouladi, M.; Jenkins, J.; Burger, P.; Langston, J.; Merchant, T.; Heideman, R.; Thompson, S.; Sanford, A. et al. (Jul 2001). "Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma: favorable outcome after complete surgical resection.". Neuro Oncol 3 (3): 184-92. PMID 11465399.
- ↑ Kumar, Vinay; Abbas, Abul K.; Fausto, Nelson; Aster, Jon (2009). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease (8th ed.). Elsevier Saunders. pp. 1333. ISBN 978-1416031215.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Dias-Santagata, D.; Lam, Q.; Vernovsky, K.; Vena, N.; Lennerz, JK.; Borger, DR.; Batchelor, TT.; Ligon, KL. et al. (2011). "BRAF V600E mutations are common in pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma: diagnostic and therapeutic implications.". PLoS One 6 (3): e17948. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017948. PMID 21479234.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Wippold FJ, Lubner M, Perrin RJ, Lämmle M, Perry A (October 2007). "Neuropathology for the neuroradiologist: Antoni A and Antoni B tissue patterns". AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 28 (9): 1633–8. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A0682. PMID 17893219. http://www.ajnr.org/cgi/reprint/28/9/1633.
- ↑ Levy AD, Quiles AM, Miettinen M, Sobin LH (March 2005). "Gastrointestinal schwannomas: CT features with clinicopathologic correlation". AJR Am J Roentgenol 184 (3): 797–802. PMID 15728600. http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/content/full/184/3/797.
- ↑ URL: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/ganglioma. Accessed on: 8 November 2010.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Shimada H, Ambros IM, Dehner LP, Hata J, Joshi VV, Roald B (July 1999). "Terminology and morphologic criteria of neuroblastic tumors: recommendations by the International Neuroblastoma Pathology Committee". Cancer 86 (2): 349–63. PMID 10421272.
- ↑ R. Kiehl. 8 November 2010.
- ↑ Iacobuzio-Donahue, Christine A.; Montgomery, Elizabeth A. (2005). Gastrointestinal and Liver Pathology: A Volume in the Foundations in Diagnostic Pathology Series (1st ed.). Churchill Livingstone. pp. 217. ISBN 978-0443066573.
- ↑ PST. 14 February 2011.
- ↑ Buccoliero AM, Castiglione F, Degl'Innocenti DR, et al. (February 2010). "Embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes: morphological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and molecular study of a case showing features of medulloepithelioma and areas of mesenchymal and epithelial differentiation". Neuropathology 30 (1): 84–91. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1789.2009.01040.x. PMID 19563506.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Raoux D, Duband S, Forest F, et al. (June 2010). "Primary central nervous system lymphoma: Immunohistochemical profile and prognostic significance". Neuropathology 30 (3): 232–40. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1789.2009.01074.x. PMID 19925562.
- ↑ URL: http://moon.ouhsc.edu/kfung/jty1/Composites/FNA0IE14-Neurocytoma-Micro.htm. Accessed on: 12 October 2011.
- ↑ Wippold FJ, Perry A (March 2006). "Neuropathology for the neuroradiologist: rosettes and pseudorosettes". AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 27 (3): 488–92. PMID 16551982.
- ↑ URL: http://path.upmc.edu/cases/case383/dx.html. Accessed on: 15 January 2012.
- ↑ Im, SH.; Chung, CK.; Cho, BK.; Lee, SK. (Mar 2002). "Supratentorial ganglioglioma and epilepsy: postoperative seizure outcome.". J Neurooncol 57 (1): 59-66. PMID 12125968.
- ↑ Yağci-Küpeli, B.; Oguz, KK.; Bilen, MA.; Yalçin, B.; Akalan, N.; Büyükpamukçu, M. (Mar 2010). "An unusual cause of posterior fossa mass: Lhermitte-Duclos disease.". J Neurol Sci 290 (1-2): 138-41. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2009.12.010. PMID 20060133.