Papillary glioneuronal tumor with minigemistocytic components and increased proliferative activity

Cerebral astroblastoma with oligodendroglial-like cells: A case report

RATIONALE

Astroblastoma is a rare tumor of the central nervous system with uncertain biological behavior and origin. Its histopathological features have been well established, while, to our knowledge, astroblastoma with oligodendroglial-like cells have not been reported.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 15-year-old girl presented with nausea, vomiting, headache, and visual disturbance.

DIAGNOSIS

Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large neoplasm in the left temporal. Histologically, the tumor showed solid and pseudopapillary structure. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the tumor cells were positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin. The oligodendroglial-like cells were positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein, vimentin, and oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2. The antigen KI67 labeling index was about 4%. Sequencing for isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1 codon 132 and IDH2 codon 172 gene mutations showed negative results. Furthermore, fluorescent analysis revealed neither 1p nor 19q deletion in the lesion. Based on these findings, the girl was finally diagnosed as astroblastoma.

INTERVENTIONS

A craniotomy with total excision of the tumor was performed.

OUTCOMES

The follow-up time was 1 year, no evidence of disease recurrence was found in magnetic resonance imaging.

LESSONS

Cerebral astroblastoma with oligodendroglial-like cells is a clinically rare tumor of central nervous system. Clear distinction and diagnosis are critical.

Papillary glioneuronal tumors: Distinctive cytological characteristics and cyto-histologic correlation

Intraoperative cytological examination and cyto-histologic correlation of papillary glioneuronal tumors have rarely been described in detail in the literature. A 23-year-old female presented at our institution with seizure-like activity, and a 3.0 cm left temporal lobe hypoattenuating lesion. She was accurately diagnosed with papillary glioneuronal tumor on Intraoperative cytology. The patient subsequently proceeded to stealth-guided awake left temporal craniotomy, confirming the diagnosis. In this article, we present a detailed report of papillary glioneuronal tumor (extremely rare central nervous system neoplasm) describing the cytologic and histologic morphologic features, its differential diagnosis with review of the literature.

Papillary Glioneuronal Tumour: A Case Report

Only a few cases of papillary glioneuronal tumour (PGNT) with predominantly focal symptomatology are described in the literature. We report on the clinical, radiological, and histopathological features of PGNT. The intraoperative pathology revealed no tumour in the walls of the cyst, thus surgical resection of the nodule was performed leaving the cyst wall intact. There was no recurrence of tumour at the three-year follow-up, although a long-term follow-up is necessary.

Papillary glioneuronal tumors: A radiopathologic correlation

OBJECTIVE

Papillary glioneuronal tumors (PGNT) are a rare and recently recognized tumor entity. The neuroimaging findings were reviewed to determine if any specific findings emerge to assist a preoperative diagnosis of PGNT.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seven histologically confirmed cases of PGNT were evaluated from 2004 to 2014. Clinical, neuroimaging and histological findings were reviewed and tabulated.

RESULTS

Headache and seizures were observed in 4 patients (57.1%) each. The majority (n=5, 71.4%) of lesions were periventricular and located in temporal lobe with 57.1% cases being solid cystic (n=4), and 42.9% being purely solid (n=3). Calcification and hemorrhage were noted in 3 cases (42.9%) and 5 cases (71.4%) respectively. The most frequent imaging feature was the presence of septations in the cystic component that enhanced on contrast which correlated with long pseudopapillary projections into the cyst cavity on histopathology. The solid inner component demonstrated heterogeneous enhancement. One case with tumor recurrence demonstrated hemorrhage with superficial siderosis, patchy diffusion restriction, raised choline and focal areas of raised perfusion which correlated on histopathology with increased cellularity and anaplasia.

CONCLUSION

Presence of cystic mass in periventricular location with septations and a solid inner component should raise a suspicion of PGNT on neuroimaging.

Clinicopathologic and neuroradiologic studies of papillary glioneuronal tumors

BACKGROUND

Papillary glioneuronal tumor (PGNT) is a rare, recently described distinct low-grade brain neoplasm. This study was performed to characterize the clinicopathologic and neuroradiologic features of PGNTs.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical records of 16 patients with PGNT who underwent surgery, including 11 males and five females (median age 27 years). The clinical, neuroradiologic, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical findings were documented.

RESULTS

Headache was the principal presentation. Neuroimaging showed contrast-enhancing, cystic-solid or cystic masses with a mural nodule, mostly involved the frontal or parietal lobes. Histologically, the tumors were characterized by glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive small cuboidal cells lining hyalinized vascular pseudopapillae and synaptophysin and/or NeuN-positive interpapillary neuronal elements. Other findings included small angiomatous areas in ten, small islands of neuropil and rosettes in seven, and microvascular proliferation and/or nuclear atypia in six. Mitoses or necrosis were absent. All lacked isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) R132H protein expression. Low expression of p53 was observed in three cases. Ki67 labeling index ranged from less than 1 to 3 %. All but one was totally resected. Median follow-up was 65 months, and one patient had tumor recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

PGNTs display distinct clinicopathologic and imaging characteristics and indicate a favorable prognosis. However, recurrences sometimes occur. Immunohistochemistry facilitates the appropriate diagnosis of these tumors. Complete resection of the tumor is important for a favorable outcome.

An individual patient data meta-analysis on characteristics and outcome of patients with papillary glioneuronal tumor, rosette glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands and rosette forming glioneuronal tumor of the fourth ventricle

Background and Purpose

In 2007, the WHO classification of brain tumors was extended by three new entities of glioneuronal tumors: papillary glioneuronal tumor (PGNT), rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor of the fourth ventricle (RGNT) and glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands (GNTNI). Focusing on clinical characteristics and outcome, the authors performed a comprehensive individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis of the cases reported in literature until December 2012.

Methods

PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were searched for peer-reviewed articles reporting on PGNT, RGNT, and GNTNI using predefined keywords.

Results

95 publications reported on 182 patients (PGNT, 71; GNTNI, 26; RGNT, 85). Median age at diagnosis was 23 years (range 4–75) for PGNT, 27 years (range 6–79) for RGNT, and 40 years (range 2–65) for GNTNI. Ninety-seven percent of PGNT and 69% of GNTNI were located in the supratentorial region, 23% of GNTNI were in the spinal cord, and 80% of RGNT were localized in the posterior fossa. Complete resection was reported in 52 PGNT (73%), 36 RGNT (42%), and 7 GNTNI (27%) patients. Eight PGNT, 3 RGNT, and 12 GNTNI patients were treated with chemo- and/or radiotherapy as the primary postoperative treatment. Follow-up data were available for 132 cases. After a median follow-up time of 1.5 years (range 0.2–25) across all patients, 1.5-year progression-free survival rates were 52±12% for GNTNI, 86±5% for PGNT, and 100% for RGNT. The 1.5-year overall-survival were 95±5%, 98±2%, and 100%, respectively.

Conclusions

The clinical understanding of the three new entities of glioneuronal tumors, PGNT, RGNT and GNTNI, is currently emerging. The present meta-analysis will hopefully contribute to a delineation of their diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic profiles. However, the available data do not provide a solid basis to define the optimum treatment approach. Hence, a central register should be established.

Clinical, radiological, and pathological features of 16 papillary glioneuronal tumors

BACKGROUND

Papillary glioneuronal tumors (PGNTs) are a novel distinct intracranial neoplastic entity. In this study, the authors aimed to analyze the clinical, radiological, and pathological features of PGNT.

METHODS

Clinical charts and radiographs of 16 cases of PGNT surgically treated between 2006 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Follow-up evaluations and a literature review were performed.

RESULTS

The study included nine males and seven females with a mean age of 23.8 years. The most common preoperative symptom was headache (68.8 %, 11 of 16 patients). Radiological results showed that the frontal lobe (25.0 %) was the most common portion of the brain involved, and 13 lesions (81.3 %) presented with cystic appearance with or without solid elements. All patients were misdiagnosed as non-PGNT tumors. Complete resection was achieved in 12 patients (75.0 %). Ki67 staining was positive in <1 % of cells present in eight lesions and varied in the other eight lesions, with a range of 1 % to 13 %. The mean follow-up duration was 56.2 months, and no recurrence was observed. Seventy-seven PGNTs (40 males, 51.9 %) have been reported, and 49 patients stained positive for Ki67/MIB-1. Of these cases, 28 (57.1 %) had positive staining rates of ≥1 %. In 51 patients for whom outcome information was available, six (11.8 %) exhibited recurrence, and the recurrence rates for complete resection and incomplete resection were 5.1 % and 33.3 %, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

PGNTs displayed a wide spectrum of clinical and radiological phenotypes, and they were more frequently observed in the frontal lobe and in young patients without sex predilection. Fair outcomes could be achieved by complete resection. Although PGNT displayed indolent pathobiology, atypical appearances were observed. More patients and longer follow-up periods are needed to further elucidate the biological features of PGNTs.

Malignant papillary glioneuronal tumor of the pineal gland: Case presentation and literature review of a distinct entity

Patient:

Male, 58

Final Diagnosis:

Papillary glioneuronal tumor of the pineal gland

Symptoms:

Headache • loss of memory • hydrocephalus

Medication:

—

Clinical Procedure:

—

Specialty:

Oncology • neurology • neurosurgery

Objective:

Rare disease

Background:

The authors report the third case of a rare papillary glioneuronal tumor of the pineal gland and only the second case reported with anaplastic features in this particular location. The authors also review the literature of papillary glioneuronal tumors.

Case Report:

Our patient is a 58-year-old Caucasian male who presented with diffuse headaches and loss of short-term memory. There were no deficits on physical exam. MRI Brain was performed demonstrating a large heterogeneously enhancing mass within the pineal gland causing obstructive hydrocephalus. He was taken to the operating room for supracerebellar-infratentorial approach for biopsy of the mass using neuronavigation. He required an endoscopic third ventriculostomy post-operatively for worsening hydrocephalus. Pathology demonstrated a rare malignant papillary glioneuronal tumor. It was recommended that patient undergo chemotherapy and radiation, however he refused treatment. He died six months after his initial diagnosis due to a condition unrelated to his intracranial tumor.

Conclusions:

This is an unusually rare tumor of the pineal gland, with only one other malignant case noted in this location. We review the literature of this rare entity that should be considered on the differential diagnosis of a pineal gland mass.

Papillary glioneuronal tumor--a rare entity: report of four cases and brief review of literature

PURPOSE

Papillary glioneuronal tumors (PGNT) have been recently included as a distinct entity in the WHO classification of tumors of the central nervous system. Their molecular pathogenesis is not clear. In the current study, we present the morphological, immunohistochemical, and molecular features of four cases of PGNT reported over the past 11 years.

METHODS

Over a period of 11 years (January 2000-February 2010), there were four cases of PGNT, which were reviewed for histomorphological features. TP53 and IDH1 mutations were assessed using antibodies against p53 protein and for mutant IDH1(R132H) protein, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was also performed for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein. Fluorescence in situ hybridization assay was used for analyzing 1p/19q deletion status.

RESULTS

All the tumors showed the characteristic biphasic morphology. Rare findings included minigemistocyte-like cells in one, angiomatous areas in three, focal necrosis in one, and a high MIB-1 labeling index of 12 and 13 %, respectively, in two of the cases. All lacked EGFR, IDH1 expression, and 1p/19q deletions. Interestingly, antibody for p53 labeled the tumor cells, mainly those showing glial differentiation, in two cases. At a mean follow-up of 30 months, there was no evidence of disease progression except in one case which recurred after 24 months.

CONCLUSION

PGNT are rare CNS neoplasms. Despite showing focal morphological features reminiscent of oligodendroglial tumors and presence of astrocytic component, they usually lack the common genetic alterations involved in the pathogenesis of gliomas. Multi-institutional pooling of cases may aid in elucidating their oncogenetic pathway.

Long-term epilepsy-associated tumors

The term long-term epilepsy associated tumor (LEAT) encompasses lesions identified in patients investigated for long histories (often 2 years or more) of drug-resistant epilepsy. They are generally slowly growing, low grade, cortically based tumors, more often arising in younger age groups and in many cases exhibit neuronal in addition to glial differentiation. Gangliogliomas and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors predominate in this group. LEATs are further united by cyto-architectural changes that may be present in the adjacent cortex which have some similarities to developmental focal cortical dysplasias (FCD); these are now grouped as FCD type IIIb in the updated International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification. In the majority of cases, surgical treatments are beneficial from both perspectives of managing the seizures and the tumor. However, in a minority, seizures may recur, tumors may show regrowth or recurrence, and rarely undergo anaplastic progression. Predicting and identifying tumors likely to behave less favorably are key objectives of the neuropathologist. With immunohistochemistry and modern molecular pathology, it is becoming increasingly possible to refine diagnostic groups. Despite this, some LEATs remain difficult to classify, particularly tumors with "non-specific" or diffuse growth patterns. Modification of LEAT classification is inevitable with the goal of unifying terminological criteria applied between centers for accurate clinico-pathological-molecular correlative data to emerge. Finally, establishing the epileptogenic components of LEAT, either within the lesion or perilesional cortex, will elucidate the cellular mechanisms of epileptogenesis, which in turn will guide optimal surgical management of these lesions.

Intraventricular glioneuronal tumor with disseminated lesions at diagnosis--a case report

A 55-year-old man presented with a large tumor in his lateral ventricles. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed disseminated lesions in the third and fourth ventricles at the time of diagnosis. The patient underwent a partial removal of the tumor in the lateral ventricles. Histologically, the surgical specimens showed glioneuronal differentiation with ganglion or ganglioid cells, Rosenthal fibers, oligodendroglia-like honeycomb appearances, a spongy pattern, perivascular pseudorosettes, and many hyalinized blood vessels. Papillary structure was not observed. The neuronal component showed a moderately high labeling index of Ki-67/MIB-1. We diagnosed this tumor as atypical intraventricular glioneuronal tumor. The disseminated lesions disappeared after chemoradiation therapy with temozolomide, and the residual tumors in the lateral ventricles remained stable for 3 years after the surgery. We discuss the pathological diagnosis, therapy and clinical course with review of the literatures.

The expanding family of glioneuronal tumors

Three new entities have been recently added to the group of glioneuronal tumors in the most recent update of the World Health Organization classification of tumors of the central nervous system: papillary glioneuronal tumor, rosetted glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands, and rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor of the fourth ventricle. These tumors are relatively infrequent lesions, and because of that, they can be challenging to diagnose for the practicing pathologist. In this article, we summarize the clinical and pathologic findings of these new lesions.

Aggressive variant of a papillary glioneuronal tumor. Report of 2 cases

Papillary glioneuronal tumors are a newly recognized type of brain neoplasm characterized by prominent pseudopapillary structures and glioneuronal elements. All prior cases have shown that these tumors have an indolent course. The authors present 2 patients with an aggressive variant of the tumor. The first patient had dissemination of her tumor and the second had local spreading. Therefore, the authors conclude that papillary glioneuronal tumors do not always behave in a strictly benign fashion.

The 2007 WHO Classification of Nervous System Tumors: newly recognized members of the mixed glioneuronal group

The clinical and pathologic features of two glioneuronal neoplasms newly incorporated in the 2007 revision of the WHO classification of nervous system tumors are reviewed. These are the papillary glioneuronal tumor and the rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor of the fourth ventricle.

Papillary glioneuronal tumor: a new entity awaiting inclusion in WHO classification

Papillary glioneuronal tumor (PGNT) is a recently described lesion of the brain, which is still not included as a separate entity in WHO classification. To date 32 cases of PGNT have been reported in the world literature. We report the 33^rd case, a 41-year-old male who presented with pain in the nape of the neck. MRI showed a large, predominantly solid mass involving the cerebral parenchyma of the left temporal and parieto-occipital lobes with extension across the midline. Histologically, it was a mixture of glial and neuronal components. Architecturally, the tumor was notable for its pseudopapillary pattern with hyalinized vessels. PGNT is considered as a low grade neoplasm and surgical excision has been curative in most of the cases. More cases of PGNT need to be reported as they may add further knowledge about its biologic behavior and allow its recognition and classification.

Atypical papillary glioneuronal tumor

We describe a 34-year-old man who presented with headaches for about 3 months. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed a large cystic tumor, involving the right frontoparietal lobe region. Pathological study revealed a papillary glioneuronal tumor (PGNT) with mitotic activity and a Ki-67 labeling index of approximately 15%. Five years after radical surgery and radiotherapy, the patient is symptom-free, without tumor recurrence or residual tumor. This case supports the existence of an atypical variant of PGNT, with mitotic activity and high proliferative index, and suggests that in these tumors, histological findings of malignity not necessarily indicate a short-term unfavorable behavior.