Neuropathology tumours

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A brain stem astrocytoma. (WC)

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]

  1. Metastatic brain tumours (barely edges out primary tumours)
  2. Glioblastoma (previously known as glioblastoma multiforme).
  3. Anaplastic astrocytoma.
  4. Meningioma.

Children

  1. Pilocytic astrocytoma.
  2. Medulloblastoma.
  3. Ependymoma.

Location (most common)

Certain tumours like to hang-out at certain places:[2]

Filum terminale

  • Filum terminale = bottom end of the spinal cord - has a limited differential.

DDx:[3]

Cerebellopontine angle

  • Abbreviated CP angle.

DDx:[4]

Cystic tumours

DDx:[5]

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.

Lymphoma:

  • 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
Normal. (WC)
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
Reactive astrocytes. (WC)
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
Schwannoma. (WC)
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
Meningioma. (WC)
Infiltrative astrocytoma (WHO grade II or grade III) glial processes (esp. on smear), nuclear atypia (typical size var. ~3x, irreg. nuc. membrane, hyperchromasia), no Rosenthal fibres in the core of the lesion †, no microvascular proliferation, no necrosis often enhancing (suggests high grade), usu. supratentorial, usu. white matter usu. old, occ. young common IDH-1+/-, GFAP+
High-grade astrocytoma. (WC)
Glioblastoma (WHO grade IV) glial processes (esp. on smear), nuclear atypia (typical size var. ~3x, irreg. nuc. membrane, hyperchromasia), no Rosenthal fibres in the core of the lesion †, microvascular proliferation or necrosis often enhancing (suggests high grade), usu. supratentorial, usu. white matter usu. old, occ. young very common, esp. glioblastoma IDH-1+/-, GFAP+
Glioblastoma. (WC)
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
Metastasis. (WC)

† 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:

Microscopic

Features:[7][8]

  • 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:

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
Rosenthal HE 40x.jpg
Low-grade astrocytoma no yes no no yes image?
Anaplastic astrocytoma no yes yes no yes
Anaplastic astrocytoma - high mag.jpg
Glioblastoma no yes yes yes yes
Glioblastoma - high mag.jpg

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).

Notes:

  • IDH1 and IDH2 mutations - better survival.[11]

Pilocytic astrocytoma

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma

  • Abbreviated PXA.

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

Meningioma

Peripheral nerve sheath tumours

A classification:[12]

Schwannoma

Neurofibroma

Ganglioneuroma

Not to be confused with ganglioglioma.

Ependymoma

Subependymoma

Choroid plexus papilloma

Choroid plexus carcinoma

Chordoma

Hemangioblastoma

Medulloblastoma

Primitive neuroectodermal tumour

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.[14]

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.[14]

Common pattern:

  • CD20 +ve - key stain.
  • CD3 -ve.
  • Ki-67 ~40%.
  • Bcl-6 +ve.
  • Bcl-1 -ve.

Neurocytoma

Central neurocytoma

  • Abbreviated CNC.

Ganglioglioma

Not to be confused with ganglioneuroma.

General

  • Rare.
  • Usu. temporal lobe.
  • Recognized as a cause of epilepsy.[15]

Microscopic

Features:

  • Atypical neurons.
  • Atypical glia.

Images:

Lhermitte-Duclos disease

  • Abbreviated LDD.
  • AKA dysplastic cerebellar gangliocytoma.[16]
  • AKA dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum.

Ganglioneuroblastoma

General

  • Uncommon.
  • Part of the neuroblastic tumours group which includes:[17]

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:

See also

References

  1. http://neurosurgery.mgh.harvard.edu/abta/primer.htm
  2. URL: http://www.msdlatinamerica.com/ebooks/DiagnosticNeuropathologySmears/files/4ce563fb7e8e48fc9ed8b42e296a7747.gif and http://www.msdlatinamerica.com/ebooks/DiagnosticNeuropathologySmears/sid117213.html. Accessed on: 2 November 2010.
  3. JLK. 31 May 2010.
  4. R. Kiehl. 8 November 2010.
  5. URL: http://path.upmc.edu/cases/case320/dx.html. Accessed on: 14 January 2012.
  6. URL: http://www.pathologyoutlines.com/Cnstumor.html#cystsgeneral. Accessed on: 14 January 2012.
  7. 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.
  8. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/palisading
  9. URL: http://path.upmc.edu/cases/case79/dx.html. Accessed on: 2 January 2012.
  10. 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/.
  11. 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. 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.
  13. URL: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/ganglioma. Accessed on: 8 November 2010.
  14. 14.0 14.1 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.

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