[A case of cerebellar ganglioglioma in an infant--immunohistochemical study]

Ganglioglioma is a rare brain tumor which occurs in an infant and young adult. The term "ganglioglioma" was originally proposed by Ewing in 1926 and subsequently adopted by Courville in 1930. Histogenesis of ganglioglioma is still speculative, but the hypothesis that ganglioglioma is derived from hamartomatous sympathetic neurons is generally thought to be probable. Gangliogliomas of the brain arise frequently from the temporal lobe, frontal lobe, cerebellum and spinal cord. Its growth is gradual and clinically it is a benign tumor, but its malignant transformation has been reported. Ganglioglioma is a tumor composed of both neuronal and glial cells, but the ratio of these two-cell components varies a great deal from case to case and in different areas even of the same tumor. The authors experienced a cerebellar ganglioglioma in an infant which was successfully removed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical studies of the biopsy specimen have been done. That is, histopathological staining with H-E (hematoxylin eosin), PTAH (phosphotangustic acid hematoxylin), cresyl-violet and Bodian, and electron microscopical studies were performed. Also the authors immunohistochemically examined the presence or absence of GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein), NSE (neuron specific enolase), S-100 alpha and beta subunits. Histopathologically, the authors could find nerve fiber, glial fiber and identify neuronal cells which had Nisslgranules in the cytoplasm. Electron microscopically the authors could distinguish the neuronal cells which had large nuclei and prominant nucleoli from the glial cells which had processes filled with intermediate glial filaments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)