CNS tumors Flashcards
- Childhood CNS tumors occur most often (75%) in the ______
- Adult CNS tumors are most often_____
- Localization of adult CNS tumors follows a mass distribution - most occur in the cerebral
hemispheres, most frequently frontal lobes as they are biggest
posterior fossa
supratentorial.
General principle of CNS tumors
- Both low and high grade neoplasms have significant morbidity and mortality
- Diffusely infiltrative
- Involvement of critical anatomic areas
- Inability to resect critical anatomic areas
- Most of the time do not spread outside of brain (metastases: extremely uncommon)
• May spread through subarachnoid space
The most common glial tumor
• Diffuse have an inherent tendency to progress to higher grades (anaplastic astrocytoma, glioblastoma) over time.
Annual incidence ~3-4 per 100,000
At least 80% are glioblastomas
Astrocytoma
Clincal features of astrocytomas
- Seizures
- Focal neurologic deficits – gradual (not abrupt) onset
• Headaches
-cellularity is moderately increased and occasional nuclear atypia
Grade 2 – astrocytoma (diffuse)
increased cellularity, distinct nuclear atypia, marked mitotic activity
Grade 3 – anaplastic astrocytoma-
pleomorphic astrocytic cells, brisk mitotic activity, prominent microvascular proliferation and/or necrosis and Psuedopalisading cells
Grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme –
Gross features of astrocytoma
Space occupying lesion; low grade. see expanded and flattened gyri in right frontal lobe
What does GBM stain with? What histological features do we see?
with GFAP see vascular prliferation; lots of pleomorphic astrocytic cells with brisk mitotic activity
- Most common glioma in children
- Typically present in 1st two decades
Found in posterior fossa
Pilocytic astrocytoma
Clincal features of pilocytic astrocytoma (common childhood cancer)
- Most commonly occur in cerebellum
- May also occur in optic nerve, 3rd ventricle, hypothalamus, brainstem, and occasionally cerebral hemispheres
- Presentation with focal neurologic deficit, seizures, or S/S of increased intracranial pressure
Kid presets with seizures and signs of increased cranial pressure. You see this on imaging. Dx adn prognosis
Pilocytic glioblastoma
slow glow, excellent prognosis, surgery = curative
Biphasic pattern: densely fibrillary (pilocytic) areas alternating with microcystic component and rosenthal fibers
Pilocytic astrocytoma
• Adults in 5th to 6th decade
- Long history of progressive neurological symptoms (seizures, headache focal signs)
- Imaging – well defined hypodense/hypointense mass, may see calcification
Oligodendroglioma
Prognosis of oligodendroglioma
median survival = 5-10 yrs for grade II
better then astrocytomas
Oligodendroglioma: Allelic loss of chromosome ____ and ____ are predictors of prolonged survival and susceptibility to chemotherapy in anaplastic oligodendrogliomas
1p and 19q
good to have this shit!
See fried egg appearane on histology with round nuclei
there are calcifications present
Oligodendroglioma
(fried eggs are Over easy)
What do we see in grade 3 anaplastic oligodendroglioma
vascular porliferation and mitosis is increased; mass lesion that is invasive
(chicken wire is charcteristic)
Typically occurs in children and young adults
Occurs along ventricular system, usually posterior fossa (4th ventricle)
Clinical S/S – _hydrocephalus, occasionally seizures _
Endymoma
Grades of ependymomas and prognosis
- Ependymoma (WHO II)
- Anaplastic ependymoma (WHO III)
Prognosis – average survival for posterior fossa tumors is 4 years
Solid or cystic tumors protruding from ventricular lining & filling ventricle
May invade brain parenchyma May disseminate through subarachnoid space
Ependyomama: pt presents with hydrocephalus
See true rossettes (comlnar cells) arranged around a central lumen
Ependymoma
Highly cellular tumors with increased mitoses & vascular proliferation Still has perivascular pseudorosettes, and (sometimes) true rosettes
Anaplastic ependymoma
Etiology of Gliomas
Etiology of gliomas
- No cause identified in most common types • Familial tumor syndromes (rare: < 5%)
- Li-Fraumenisyndrome(TP53germlinemutations) • Predominantly astrocytomas
- Turcotsyndrome(APC&DNAmismatchrepairgenes) • Glioblastoma or medulloblastoma
- Cowdensyndrome(PTENgenemutation) • Cerebellar gangliocytoma
- NF1,NF2,Tuberoussclerosis,vonHippel-Lindau(discussedlaterinthissession)
Environmental exposures associated with Gliomas
Only environmental factor definitively associated with increased risk of brain tumors is therapeutic radiation
• Example: Children who underwent prophylactic CNS irradiation for acute lymphocytic leukemia have increased risk of development of brain tumors
Typically found in first two decades
Occurs in 4th ventricle, lateral ventricle, 3rd ventricle and cerebello- pontine angle
Presentation with hydrocephalus
- Overproduction of CSF
- Obstruction of CSF flow
Choroid plexus papilloma
Choroid plexus papilloma vs carcinoma
Choroid plexus carcinoma
- Occurs in children < 10 years
- Rare in adults
- Prognosis
- Choroid plexus papilloma – very good with surgical resection
- Choroid plexus carcinoma – poor prognosis
Well-demarcated, pedunculated or cauliflower-like mass
Papillomas do not invade adjacent parenchyma, (but carcinomas do)
choroid pleuxs papilloma
- Usually attached to roof of 3rd ventricle
- Intermittent obstruction of foramen of Munro (often positional)
- Positional headache
- Thin-walled cyst lined by cuboid/columnar epithelium
Colloid Cyst
- Usually in first three decades
- Long standing history of seizures is common
- Typically supratentorial and in temporal lobe
- Imaging; solid or cystic, often calcification
- Surgical resection is usually curative
•No radiation or chemotherapy needed
Ganglioma
Typically a well-circumscribed mass, often with a cyst containing a mural nodule
histology: composed of atypical ganglion cells (neurons) and neoplastic glial compoenent
Ganglioma
Clincal features associated with medulloblastoma
Cerebellar dysfunction (ataxia) and increased intracranial pressure
Characteristic feature: tendency to spread through CSF pathways
medulloblastoma
Recently separated into four biologically distinct groups based upon genetic abnormalities
Each has difference risks of recurrence & progression (high, standard, low)
Traditionally a grade IV neoplasm, but now some subgroups have more favorable
outcomes
MEdulloblatoma
Treatement of medulloblastoma
Treatment – surgical resection followed by radiation (usually cranio- spinal)
• In some subgroups: with total excision and radiation, 5-year survival may be 75%