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Unclassified glioneuronal tumor with advanced lipidization

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Abstract

Lipidization is observed only occasionally in primary neuroectodermal tumors of the central nervous system. It may reflect lipomatous transformation of tumor cells into xanthomatous and/or adipocyte-like cells. We report a unique case of mixed glioneuronal tumor with marked lipomatous changes in a young patient with intractable epilepsy. MRI revealed a well-circumscribed lesion in the right temporal lobe. Histopathological findings showed the pleomorphic tumor with numerous cells containing large lipid droplets, resembling mature adipocytes, that were arranged in clusters or scattered within the neoplastic tissue. The tumor was composed of both glial and neuronal elements. Some tumor cells displayed features intermediate between glial and neuronal cells. The reticulin fibers were limited to blood vessels. Mitotic figures, vascular proliferation, and necrosis were absent, and MIB-1 labeling index was less than 1%. Diffuse immunoreactivity for GFAP and S100-protein was observed. In some heavily lipidized cells, the lipid droplets were surrounded by a cytoplasmic rim of GFAP immunoreactivity. Numerous cells exhibited immunostaining for NSE and synaptophysin. This is the first documented case of glioneuronal tumor with extensive lipomatous transformation, which might be considered as a heavily lipidized unclassified pleomorphic glioneuronal tumor or a variant of lipoganglioglioma with marked pleomorphism and severe lipidization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental and Clinical Neuropathology, M. Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

    Ewa Matyja & Wiesława Grajkowska

  2. Department of Pathology, Children’s Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland

    Wiesława Grajkowska

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, M. Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland

    Ewa Matyja & Wiesława Grajkowska

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland

    Przemyslaw Kunert, Andrzej Rysz & Andrzej Marchel

  5. Department of Neuropathology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego Str., 02-106, Warsaw, Poland

    Ewa Matyja

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  1. Ewa Matyja
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  3. Przemyslaw Kunert
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Correspondence to Ewa Matyja.

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Matyja, E., Grajkowska, W., Kunert, P. et al. Unclassified glioneuronal tumor with advanced lipidization. Brain Tumor Pathol 28, 265–271 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10014-011-0036-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10014-011-0036-2

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