Skip to main content
Log in

Medulloblastoma in an adult suggestive of external granule cells as its origin: A histological and immunohistochemical study

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Brain Tumor Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We describe a rare case of medulloblastoma in an adult woman with histological findings suggesting an origin for this neoplasm in the external granular layer or its remnants. The patient presented with cerebellar dysfunction, and neuroimaging revealed a right cerebellar mass lesion. Pathological examination of the operative specimen revealed a medulloblastoma with occasional areas of neuronal or glial differentiation. Zic protein was also detected immunohistochemically in the tumor cells. The tumor cells were mainly distributed in the subarachnoid space and extended to the cerebellar parenchyma through the perivascular space to form tumor nodules. A suggestive finding, as concerns the origin of this neoplasm, was that the tumor cells were also spread evenly along the subpial zone of the molecular layer, reminiscent of the cellular architecture of the fetal external granular layer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kleihues P, Burger PC, Scheithauer BW (1993) Primitive neuroectodermal tumours (PNETs). In: Kleihues P, Burger PC, Scheithauer BW (eds) Histological typing of tumours of the central nervous system. 2nd edn. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 28–30

    Google Scholar 

  2. Kepes JJ, Morantz RA, Dorzab WE (1987) Cerebellar medulloblastoma in a 73-year-old woman. Neurosurgery 21:81–83

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Yokota N, Aruga J, Takai S et al. (1996) Predominant expression of human Zic in cerebellar granule cell lineage and medulloblastoma. Cancer Res 56:377–383

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Zee C-S, Segall HD, Miller C et al. (1982) Less common CT features of medulloblastoma. Radiology 144:97–102

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bourgouin PM, Tampieri D, Grahovac SZ et al. (1992) CT and MR imaging findings in adults with cerebellar medulloblastoma: comparison with findings in children. AJR 159:609–612

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pobereskin L, Treip C (1986) Adult medulloblastoma. J Neurol Neurosurg Psych 49:39–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Carrie C, Lasset C, Alapetite C et al. (1994) Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors in adult patients with medulloblastoma. Cancer 74:2352–2360

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bailey P, Cushing H (1925) Medulloblastoma cerebelli: a common type of midcerebellar glioma in childhood. Arch Neurol 14:192–233

    Google Scholar 

  9. Stevenson L, Echlin F (1934) Nature and origin of some tumors of the cerebellum: medulloblastoma. Arch Neurol Psychiatry 31:93–109

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kadin ME, Rubinstein LJ, Nelson JS (1970) Neonatal cerebellar medulloblastoma originating from the fetal external granular layer. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 29:583–600

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Burger PC, Scheithauer BW (1993) Medulloblastoma. In: Burger PC, Scheithauer BW (eds) Tumors of the central nervous system. Atlas of tumor pathology, third series, fascicle 10. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC, pp 205–217

    Google Scholar 

  12. Matsuda M, Yasui K, Nagashima K, Mori W (1987) Origin of the medulloblastoma experimentally induced by human polyomavirus JC. J Natl Cancer Inst 79:585–591

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Raaf J, Kernohan JW (1994) Relation of abnormal collections of cells in posterior medullary verum of cerebellum to origin of medulloblastoma. Arch Neurol Psychiatry 52:163–169

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ringertz N, Tola JH (1950) Medulloblastoma. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 9:354–372

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Aruga J, Yokota N, Hashimoto M et al. (1994) A novel zinc finger protein, zic, is involved in neurogenesis, especially in the cell lineage of cerebellar granule cells. J Neurochem 63:1880–1890

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hajime Miyata.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Miyata, H., Ikawa, E. & Ohama, E. Medulloblastoma in an adult suggestive of external granule cells as its origin: A histological and immunohistochemical study. Brain Tumor Pathol 15, 31–35 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02482098

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02482098

Key words

Navigation