Related Experiment Videos
Cervical cord ependymoma with numerous microrosettes.
N Yoshimura1, M Koyanagi, T Nishi
1Department of Pathology, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, 5 Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan.
Brain Tumor Pathology
|January 1, 1997
Summary
This study details a rare cervical cord ependymoma case with numerous microrosettes and trabecular architecture. The findings suggest a potential defect in rosette formation regulation in this rare tumor type.
Area of Science:
- Neuropathology
- Oncology
Background:
- Ependymoma is a tumor arising from ependymal cells, typically found in the central nervous system.
- Microrosette ependymoma, characterized by numerous microrosettes, is a rare subtype with limited reported cases.
Observation:
- An autopsy case of a cervical cord ependymoma in a 23-year-old male is presented.
- The tumor exhibited unusual features, including abundant microrosettes and a trabecular architecture, alongside perivascular pseudorosettes.
- Tumor cells showed a strong tendency for microrosette and trabecular formation over 15 years of slow expansion.
Findings:
- Electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry confirmed the ependymal nature of the microrosettes.
- Microrosettes, often composed of few cells, contained lumina with fibril bundles resembling Reissner's fiber, cilia, and microvilli.
- The tumor displayed low-grade malignancy despite extensive cervical cord involvement.
Implications:
- The pathogenesis of numerous microrosettes remains unclear, with a potential defect in rosette formation regulation proposed.
- This case expands the understanding of ependymoma morphology and rare subtype variations.
- Further research into the cellular mechanisms underlying microrosette formation is warranted.