Summary
Tumors of mixed glial origin may present as low-grade neoplasms with distinct cell populations or as polymorphic malignant gliomas. Such cell populations are usually appropriate to the location of the tumor. A mixed tumor, with a cell population inappropriate to tumor location, is presented to discuss theories of glial differentiation and cellular heterogeneity. This mixed ependymoma-astrocytoma of the parietal cortex, ultrastructurally similar to subependymoma but anatomically separate from the subependymal cell matrix or ventricular surface, gives evidence for neoplastic differentiation into ependymal and astrocytic cell lines. This supports the idea of a common progenitor cell, the ependymoglia or tanycyte, in human cerebral cortex.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bigner DD (1981) Biology of gliomas: potential clinical implications of glioma cellular heterogeneity. Neurosurgery 9:320–326
Boykin FC, Cowen D, Iannucci CA, Wolf A (1954) Subependymal glomerate astrocytomas. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 18:30–49
Chason JL (1956) Subependymal mixed gliomas. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 15:461–470
Cooper IS, Kernohan JW (1951) Heterotopic glial nests in the subarachnoid space: histopathologic characteristics, mode of origin and relation to meningeal gliomas. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 10:16–29
Feigin I, Epstein F, Mangiardi J (1983) Extensive advanced maturation of medulloblastoma to astrocytoma and ependymoma. J Neurooncol 1:95–108
Friede RL, Pollak A (1978) The cytogenetic basis for classifying ependymomas. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 37:103–118
Fu YS, Chen ATL, Kay S, Young HF (1974) Is subependymoma (subependymal glomerate astrocytoma) an astrocytoma or ependymoma? Cancer 34:1992–2008
Ho KL (1983) Concurrence of subependymoma and heterotopic leptomeningeal neuroglial tissue. Arch Pathol 107:136–140
Lobato RD, Sarabia M, Castro S, Esparza J, Cordobes F, Portillo J, Rivas JJ (1986) Symptomatic subependymoma: report of four new cases studied with computed tomography and review of the literature. Neurosurgery 19:594–598
Pilkington GJ, Lantos PL (1979) The fine structure of stratified ependyma in the ventricular wall of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-treated rats. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 46:173–176
Russell DS, Rubinstein LJ (1977) Pathology of tumors of the nervous system, 4th edn. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 149–150
Schmitt HP (1983) Rapid anaplastic transformation in gliomas of adulthood. Pathol Res Pract 176:313–323
Shapiro JR, Shapiro WR (1985) The subpopulations and isolated cell types of freshly resected high grade human gliomas: their influence on the tumors evolution in vivo and behaviour and therapy in vitro. Cancer Metastasis Rev 4:107–124
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kondziolka, D., Bilbao, J.M. Mixed ependymoma-astrocytoma (subependymoma?) of the cerebral cortex. Acta Neuropathol 76, 633–637 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689604
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689604