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Clinicopathological features of human brainstem gliomas

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Abstract

We describe the clinicopathological features of 25 brainstem gliomas (BSGs). Twenty BSGs located in the pons and were all in children. Four BSGs located in the medulla oblongata were in 2 children and 2 adults. One (in a child) was located in the midbrain. Radiological findings on MR images were low-intensity on T1 weighted images and high-intensity on T2 weighted images. Mean survival when pontine glioma was treated by radiotherapy and/or use of temozolomide was 14 months, although 4 patients (3 cervicomedullary types and one focal type arising from midbrain) are alive. Follow up was from 5 months to 6 years. Histopathological features of 10 cases of the diffuse type were: 4 grade II astrocytomas, 4 grade III astrocytomas, and 2 glioblastomas. MIB-1 index was from 0.8 to 38 %. P53 was positive for 80 % of 15 tumors and there were no negative results. MGMT was positive in 60 % of 15 tumors and negative in 12.4 %. IDH1 was negative in 61.6 %. There was no positive result for IDH1 in this study. Thus, our histopathological results were indicative of high p53 immunoreactivity and no IDH1 immunoreactivity related to secondary malignant change.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (nos 19591700 and 19590365) and a Parent’s Association Grant from Kitasato University School of Medicine, Japan. We wish to thank Ms Yoshie Yasui for providing technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minimi-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 225-318, Japan

    Hidehiro Oka, Satoshi Utsuki, Yoshinori Tanizaki, Hiroyuki Hagiwara, Yoshiteru Miyajima, Kimitoshi Sato, Mari Kusumi, Chihiro Kijima & Kiyotaka Fujii

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  1. Hidehiro Oka
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  2. Satoshi Utsuki
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  3. Yoshinori Tanizaki
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  6. Kimitoshi Sato
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Correspondence to Hidehiro Oka.

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Oka, H., Utsuki, S., Tanizaki, Y. et al. Clinicopathological features of human brainstem gliomas. Brain Tumor Pathol 30, 1–7 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10014-012-0099-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10014-012-0099-8

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