Pathologic anatomy and CT correlations in the glioblastoma multiforme

Area of Science:

• Neuro-oncology
• Pathology
• Radiology

Background:

• Glioblastoma multiforme is an aggressive primary brain tumor.
• Accurate pathological assessment is crucial for understanding tumor behavior and treatment response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To correlate pathological findings of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and other astrocytomas with antemortem CT scans.
• To quantify the dimensions of necrotic, hypercellular, and infiltrating zones in post-mortem specimens.

Main Methods:

• Post-mortem pathological examination of 8 brain tumor cases (6 GBM, 1 anaplastic astrocytoma, 1 astrocytoma).
• Comparison of whole brain sections with available antemortem CT scans.
• Quantification of necrotic, hypercellular, and infiltrating tumor zones.

Main Results:

• Glioblastoma often exhibits a small hypercellular region and a narrow peripheral infiltration zone.
• CT scan findings correlate with pathological zones: low density areas represent necrosis and infiltration, enhancing rims indicate hypercellularity.
• Post-mortem findings confirm previous CT-pathology correlations in glioblastoma.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the limited extent of hypercellularity and infiltration in glioblastoma, which has implications for surgical and radiation therapy planning.
• CT imaging effectively identifies necrotic and hypercellular tumor regions in glioblastoma.
• Pathological-radiological correlation is vital for understanding glioblastoma extent.