Ch 22 - CNS tumors Flashcards
What are gliomas?
- tumors of the brain parenchyma
- resemble the different types of glial cells
What are the types of the gliomas?
- astrocytomas
- oligodendrogliomas
- ependymomas
How is the consistency of ependymomas compared to astrocytoma and oligodendrogliomas?
the most common types are highly infiltrative or “diffuse gliomas,” including astrocytic and oligodendroglial, and mixed forms. In contrast, ependymomas tend to form solid masses
What are the most common types of astrocytomas?
- diffuse astrocytomas
- piloctic astrocytomas
Diffuse astrocytomas frequency?
- 80% of adult gliomas
- most frequent in the 4th through 6th decades of life
Where are the diffuse astrocytomas usually found?
cerebral hemispheres
What are the most common presenting signs and symptoms of diffuse astrocytomas ?
- seizures
- headaches
- focal neurologic deficits related to the anatomic site of involvement
Which groups are the diffuse astrocytomas stratified in to:
- well-differentiated astrocytoma (grade I/IV)
- anaplastic astrocytoma (grade III/IV)
- glioblastoma (grade IV/IV)
Read about diffuse astrocytoma:
page 842
Pilocytic astrocytoma:
- relatively benign tumors
- affect children and young adults
- often a cyst associated with the tumor, and recurrence from incompletely resected lesions is often associated with cyst enlargement, rather than growth of the solid component
Where are the pilocytic astrocytoma most commonly located?
- cerebellum may also involve: - third ventricles - optic pathways - spinal cord - occasionally cerebral hemispheres
Can the tumors that involve the hypothalamus be resected completely?
no. this is why they are problematic
pilocytic astrocytoma (morphology)
- often cystic, with a mural nodule in the wall of the cyst
- if solid: it is very well circumscribed - bipolar cells with long, thin “hair-like” processes that are GFAP-positive
- rosenthal fibers and microcysts are often present
- necrosis and mitoses are rare
Rosenthal fibers =
eosinophilic granular bodies
Oligodendroglioma frequency:
- 5%-15% of gliomas
- most commonly detected in the 4th and 5th decades of life
What are the complaints of patients with oligodendrogliomas?
- antecedent neurologic complaints
- seizures