Malignant glioma with angiocentric features

Clinical characteristics and detection of MYB-QKI fusions in patients with angiocentric glioma

PURPOSE

Angiocentric glioma (AG), a benign tumor identified within the last two decades, was officially included in the 2007 WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System, WHO grade I. The tumor is relatively rare, with only approximately 100 cases reported. We aim to complement the characteristics and long-term prognosis of AG, as well as to detect MYB-QKI fusions.

METHODS

The characteristics of all cases collected between 1 March 2009 and 1 March 2023 at the Beijing Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, were summarized and analyzed. Additionally, all fourteen patients were tested for MYB-QKI fusions.

RESULTS

AG more predominantly occurs in adolescents (median age 16.5-year-old), and commonly presents with drug-resistant epilepsy. AG is frequently localized in the supratentorial regions and only one patient is in the brainstem. Brain parenchyma atrophy, and stalk-like signs can observe in imaging. Pathologically, tumor cells are perivascular pseudorosettes, presenting immunoreactivity for GFAP, S-100, Vimentin, "dot-like" staining for EMA, and low proliferative activity. Focal cortex dysplasia was observed in four patients. Twelve of fourteen (85.7%) patients were found with MYB-QKI fusions. Completely surgical resection typically has a satisfactory prognosis with long-term follow-up.

CONCLUSION

AG is a rare benign tumor with a favorable prognosis after complete resection, characterized by refractory epilepsy, frequently occurring in adolescents. MYB-QKI fusions were detected in most AG patients, as a good defining genetic alteration pathologically. The potential presence of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) may affect the prognosis of epilepsy.

Benign Glioma

Benign glioma broadly refers to a heterogeneous group of slow-growing glial tumors with low proliferative rates and a more indolent clinical course. These tumors may also be described as "low-grade" glioma (LGG) and are classified as WHO grade I or II lesions according to the Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System (CNS) (Louis et al. in Acta Neuropathol 114:97-109, 2007). Advances in molecular genetics have improved understanding of glioma tumorigenesis, leading to the identification of common mutation profiles with significant treatment and prognostic implications. The most recent WHO 2016 classification system has introduced several notable changes in the way that gliomas are diagnosed, with a new emphasis on molecular features as key factors in differentiation (Wesseling and Capper in Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 44:139-150, 2018). Benign gliomas have a predilection for younger patients and are among the most frequently diagnosed tumors in children and young adults (Ostrom et al. in Neuro Oncol 22:iv1-iv96, 2020). These tumors can be separated into two clinically distinct subgroups. The first group is of focal, well-circumscribed lesions that notably are not associated with an increased risk of malignant transformation. Primarily diagnosed in pediatric patients, these WHO grade I tumors may be cured with surgical resection alone (Sturm et al. in J Clin Oncol 35:2370-2377, 2017). Recurrence rates are low, and the prognosis for these patients is excellent (Ostrom et al. in Neuro Oncol 22:iv1-iv96, 2020). Diffuse gliomas are WHO grade II lesions with a more infiltrative pattern of growth and high propensity for recurrence. These tumors are primarily diagnosed in young adult patients, and classically present with seizures (Pallud et al. Brain 137:449-462, 2014). The term "benign" is a misnomer in many cases, as the natural history of these tumors is with malignant transformation and recurrence as grade III or grade IV tumors (Jooma et al. in J Neurosurg 14:356-363, 2019). For all LGG, surgery with maximal safe resection is the treatment of choice for both primary and recurrent tumors. The goal of surgery should be for gross total resection (GTR), as complete tumor removal is associated with higher rates of tumor control and seizure freedom. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT), while not typically a component of first-line treatment in most cases, may be employed as adjunctive therapy in high-risk or recurrent tumors and in some select cases. The prognosis of benign gliomas varies widely; non-infiltrative tumor subtypes generally have an excellent prognosis, while diffusely infiltrative tumors, although slow-growing, are eventually fatal (Sturm et al. in J Clin Oncol 35:2370-2377, 2017). This chapter reviews the shared and unique individual features of the benign glioma including diffuse glioma, pilocytic astrocytoma and pilomyxoid astrocytoma (PMA), subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA), pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA), subependymoma (SE), angiocentric glioma (AG), and chordoid glioma (CG). Also discussed is ganglioglioma (GG), a mixed neuronal-glial tumor that represents a notable diagnosis in the differential for other LGG (Wesseling and Capper 2018). Ependymomas of the brain and spinal cord, including major histologic subtypes, are discussed in other chapters.

Neuroimaging features of angiocentric glioma: A case series and systematic review

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Angiocentric gliomas (AGs) are epileptogenic low-grade gliomas in young patients. We aimed to investigate the MRI findings of AGs and systematically review previous publications and three new cases.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Elsevier's abstract and citation database, and Embase databases and included 50 patients with pathologically proven AGs with analyzable preoperative MRI including 3 patients from our institution and 47 patients from 38 publications (median age, 13 years [range, 2-83 years]; 35 men). Two board-certified radiologists reviewed all images. The relationships between seizure/epilepsy history and MRI findings were statistically analyzed. Moreover, clinical and imaging differences were evaluated between supratentorial and brainstem AGs.

RESULTS

Intratumoral T1-weighted high-intensity areas, stalk-like signs, and regional brain parenchymal atrophy were observed in 23 out of 50 (46.0%), 10 out of 50 (20.0%), and 14 out of 50 (28.0%) patients, respectively. Intratumoral T1-weighted high-intensity areas were observed significantly more frequently in patients with stalk-like signs (positive, 9/10 vs. negative, 14/40, p = .0031) and regional atrophy (13/14 vs. 10/36, p = .0001). There were significant relationships between the length of seizure/epilepsy history and presence of intratumoral T1-weighted high-intensity area (median 3 years vs. 0.5 years, p = .0021), stalk-like sign (13.5 vs. 1 year, p < .0001), and regional atrophy (14 vs. 0.5 years, p < .0001). Patients with brainstem AGs (n = 7) did not have a seizure/epilepsy history and were significantly younger than those with supratentorial AGs (median, 5 vs. 13 years, p < .0001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Intratumoral T1-weighted high-intensity areas, stalk-like signs, and regional brain atrophy were frequent imaging features in AG. We also found that affected age was different between supratentorial and brainstem AGs.

Angiocentric glioma: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Angiocentric glioma (AG) is a rare, low-grade glioma with slow growth. In 2007, AG was first classified as a solid tumor according to the WHO classification of the central nervous system (WHO class I). The outcome and prognosis of most of the cases are very good, but a few cases with tumor metastasis and disease progression, even death, have been reported. We report a case and systematically analyze previous literature to increase our understanding of the disease and determine the factors that may affect disease progression to make prognostic judgments.

CASE PRESENTATION

A young male patient complained of a 3-year history of epilepsy. Anti-epileptic drug treatment was ineffective. An imaging examination revealed a lesion in the left parietal cortex area. Thus, the lesion was completely resected. The pathological diagnosis was angiocentric glioma. During a follow-up of two years, the patient had epilepsy relief controlled by sodium valproate and a disease-free period.

CONCLUSION

AG is an epilepsy-related low-grade glioma that heals after complete resection in most reported cases. However, few reported cases have had disease progression and death. This result may be due to the pathological complexity of the diseased tissue. In addition, AG is usually found to have an MYB-QKI rearrangement on genetic analysis. Due to the small number of reported cases and studies, our understanding and knowledge of this disease are still lacking. The potential malignant changes and prognostic factors need to be verified in more than clinical cases and basic research in the future.

Development of a risk score for choledocholithiasis in pediatric patients

PURPOSE

The prevalence of gallstones in children has increased over the last years. Choledocholithiasis (CD) is present in up to 30% of the cases. There is a scarcity of studies on the management of choledocholithiasis in children. The aim of this study was to develop a score that would allow predicting accurately the risk of CD in children with gallstones and reduce the number of non-therapeutic ERCP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study in children with gallstones and suspected CD seen between January 2010 and December 2019. The main outcome was the presence of CD confirmed by at least one of the following diagnostic tests: magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and/or intraoperative cholangiography (IOC). We developed a risk score based on the presence or absence of the following risk factors: acute biliary pancreatitis, ascending cholangitis, elevated liver function tests (AST, ALT, total bilirubin [TB, ≥ 2 mg/dl], conjugated bilirubin, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase), CD on ultrasound (US; this was considered predictive but not confirmatory of CD), and dilation of the common bile duct (> 6 mm) by US. The score was divided into three different categories: low risk (no risk factors), intermediate risk (one risk factor present), high risk (≥ 2 risk factors present or ascending cholangitis). Given the main goal of reducing the number of diagnostic ERCPs, a very-high-risk subgroup (3 risk factors present or ascending cholangitis) was identified.

RESULTS

We reviewed 133 patients with gallstones and suspected CD. In 56 (42.1%) patients, the presence of CD was confirmed by one or more of the definitive diagnostic tests (MRCP, ERCP, and IOC). The following variables were found to be the strongest predictors of CD: ascending cholangitis, TB ≥ 2 mg/dl, common bile duct > 6 mm, and the presence of CD by US. The positive predictive value for CD was 7.5% in the low-risk group (OR 0.06, P = < 0.001); 22.9% in the intermediate-risk group (OR 0.31, P = 0.007); 77.6% in the high-risk group (OR 20.14, P = < 0.001); and 95.7% in very-high-risk subgroup (OR 49.18, P = < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The risk score proposed in this study predicts accurately the presence of CD in children with gallstones. It can serve as a helpful tool to triage the need for costly and complex studies in the workup of CD, particularly in centers with limited resources. Finally, due to its high specificity and positive predictive value (PPV), the use of the very-high-risk criteria would allow for an important decrease in the number of non-therapeutic ERCP.

Angiocentric glioma: Drop Metastases to the Spinal Cord

BACKGROUND

Angiocentric glioma (AG) is an epileptogenic low grade (World Health Organization grade I) glial tumor with astrocytic and ependymal differentiation, most commonly affecting the pediatric and adolescent population. Despite its infiltrating histological growth kinetics, it is widely accepted that AG has a low potential for aggressive behavior.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We present the case of a 42-year-old man who represents the first documented case of not only extracranial manifestation of AG, but also spinal metastatic dissemination. Our patient initially presented with a generalized tonic clonic seizure; following a biopsy, he was diagnosed with a low-grade supratentorial astrocytoma and subsequently received fractionated radiotherapy. He presented 10 months later with worsening dorsal column symptoms and was found to have a contrast-enhancing intradural extramedullary lesion that was surgically resected and histologically confirmed as an AG.

CONCLUSION

Further research is required to examine the microenvironment and potential for malignant change in this tumor.

A malignant astrocytoma with uncommon angiocentric features and dot-like EMA expression

Angiocentric features are uncommon in high-grade World Health Organisation (WHO) brain tumours, whilst they are typical for WHO grade I tumours, e.g. angiocentric gliomas. We present an unusual glial tumour that occurred in a 59-year-old man. The tumour had equivocal radiologic and histopathologic features, especially a characteristic angiocentric pattern, low-to-moderate Ki67, and dot-like epithelial membrane antigen expression. The tumour did not show features characteristic for glioblastoma; however, it recurred as glioblastoma four months later. Based on this case, we show that high-grade WHO brain tumours may show an angiocentric pattern typical for low-grade WHO brain tumours, such as angiocentric gliomas.

Cystoid angiocentric glioma: A case report and literature review

Angiocentric glioma is a rare subtype of neuroepithelial tumor that is associated with a history of epilepsy. We report a case of cystoid angiocentric glioma associated with an area of calcification. This 25 year old male patient presented with tonic clonic spasm. He underwent craniotomy with complete resection of the lesion. Pathologic specimen showed monomorphous bipolar cells with angiocentric growth pattern.

"Unusual brain stone": heavily calcified primary neoplasm with some features suggestive of angiocentric glioma

This 40-year-old man presented with a 5-month history of progressive right-sided headache associated with visual blurring. He also had a history of epilepsy but had been seizure free with medication for the past 10 years. An initial CT scan of his brain performed 16 years previously had revealed a small area of calcification in the right parietal region. In the current presentation, he had a left-sided homonymous hemianopia but no other neurological deficits. A CT scan of his brain showed a much larger calcified, partly cystic lesion in the right parietal region. Because he was symptomatic, the lesion was excised and the cyst was drained. Histological examination of the excised tissue showed an unusual primary tumor that was difficult to classify but had some features of angiocentric glioma. The heavy calcification, mixed-density cell population, and regions with features of angiocentric glioma were most unusual. The patient remained asymptomatic 5 years after surgery, and follow-up scans did not show recurrence.