Phenotypic characteristics of GFAP-positive oligodendroglial tumours. Part II: ultrastructural study

Five cases of anaplastic oligodendrogliomas containing numerous GFAP-positive cells have been analysed by electron microscopy to establish the fine structural characteristics of neoplastic cells. Ultrastructurally, all tumours have revealed monotonous appearance typical of oligodendrogliomas, however some structural variability, particularly with reference to astrocytic differentiation, has been observed. The majority of neoplastic cells have shown the fine structural features of oligodendrocytes, accompanied by various numbers of intermediate cytoplasmic filaments. These filaments have been usually distributed in the perinuclear, less often in the peripheral, parts of the cytoplasm. The cells exhibiting features common to both oligodendroglial and astroglial cells might be regarded as an intermediate morphological form between these two cell types. True neoplastic astrocytes could be encountered only sporadically. The present electron microscopic studysupports the opinion that GFAP-positive oligodendroglial tumours contain heterogeneous neoplastic cell populations with the transitional cell types between oligodendroglial and astroglial lineage.