Anaplastic ependymoma with ependymoblastic multilayered rosettes

• Published in: Human pathology Vol. 44; no. 11; pp. 2597 - 2602
• Main Authors: Nobusawa, Sumihito, MD, Suzuki, Aya, MD, Nagaishi, Masaya, MD, Isoda, Koji, Ikota, Hayato, MD, Yokoo, Hideaki, MD, Hirato, Junko, MD, Nakazato, Yoichi, MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.2013; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: 19q13.42; Artificial chromosomes; Autopsy; Brain Neoplasms - genetics; Brain Neoplasms - metabolism; Brain Neoplasms - pathology; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19 - genetics; Cytogenetic Analysis; Cytoplasm; Diagnosis, Differential; Ependymoblastic rosettes; Ependymoma; Ependymoma - genetics; Ependymoma - metabolism; Ependymoma - pathology; Fatal Outcome; Female; Frontal Lobe - pathology; Humans; Hybridization; Immunohistochemistry; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive - genetics; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive - metabolism; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive - pathology; Neuropil - metabolism; Pathology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Surgery; Tumors; Young Adult; Ependymoma; 19q13.42; Ependymoblastic rosettes
• ISSN: 0046-8177; 1532-8392
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2013.03.012

Summary Anaplastic ependymoma, World Health Organization grade III, is a malignant glioma with ependymal differentiation characterized by high mitotic activity often accompanied by microvascular proliferation and necrosis, where, generally, much fewer ependymal rosettes are found than in ependymoma, World Health Organization grade II. Ependymal rosettes, forming a single layer of tumor cells, differ from ependymoblastic multilayered rosettes, which are characteristic histologic features of ependymoblastoma, a variant of central nervous system primitive neuroectodermal tumor. Here, we report an autopsy case involving a 24-year-old woman with a frontal lobe tumor, which showed the aggregation of true rosettes with multilayering of tumor cells resembling the ependymoblastoma histology. Molecular and cytogenetic analyses revealed the absence of 19q13.42 amplification, a specific molecular hallmark of ependymoblastoma and embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes, supporting the diagnosis of anaplastic ependymoma.