Summary
45 cases with supratentorial, lobar—mainly temporo-parietal—pilocytic astrocytoma are analysed. The mostly highly vascularized tumours frequently present with histologically different tissue components. Formation of cysts of various size was found in 67%. The tumour usually ran a benign clinical course with a comparatively low incidence of recurrence. Malignant transformation of recurrent tumours was not observed. Radiotherapy of conventional dosage did not prove to have any influence on survival, neither post-operatively nor after re-operation.
Transformation of persisting pluripotential cells of the subependymal periventricular plate after migration to the surface of the brain is being discussed as the origin of this variant of pilocytic astrocytoma.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Berry M (1977) Proliferation in the mammalian subependymal layer. J Anat (Lond) 123: 241
Blakemore WF, Jolly RD (1969) The subependymal plate and associated ependyma in the dog. An ultrastructure study. J Neurocytol 1: 69–84
Brun A (1965) The subpial granular layer of the foetal cerebral cortex in man. Its ontogeny and significance in congenital cortical malformations. Acta Microbiol Scand, Suppl 179
Bryans WA (1959) Mitotic activity in the brain of the adult rat. Anat Rec 133: 65–71
Fischer K (1967) Subependymale Zellproliferationen und Tumordisposition brachycephaler Hunderassen. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 8: 242–254
Fujita S (1965) The matrix cell and histogenesis of the central nervous system. Laval Medical 36: 125–130
Globus JH, Kuhlenbeck H (1944) The subependymal cell plate (matrix) and its relationship to brain tumors of the ependymal type. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 3: 1–35
Gol A (1962) Cerebral astrocytomas in childhood. A clinical study. J Neurosurg 19: 577–582
Hopewell JW (1975) The subependymal plate and the genesis of gliomas. J Path 117: 101–104
Horstmann E (1954) Die Faserglia des Selachiergehirnes. Z Zellforsch 39: 588–617
Leonhardt H (1980) Ependym und circumventriculäre Organe. Oksche A, Vollrath L (ed) Handbuch der mikroskopischen Anatomie des Menschen Bd 4/10. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp 177–666
Levy LF, Elvidge AR (1956) Astrocytoma of the brain and spinal cord. A review of 176 cases, 1940–1949. J Neurosurg 13: 413–443
Matson MM (1969) Neurosurgery of infancy and childhood, ed 2. Ch C Thomas, Springfield, Ill
Mercuri S, Russo A, Palma L (1981) Hemispheric supratentorial astrocytomas in children. Long-term results in 29 cases. J Neurosurg 55: 170–173
Messier B, Leblond CP, Smart I (1958) Presence of DNA synthesis and mitosis in the brain of young adult mice. Exp Cell Res 14: 224–226
Müller W, Afra D, Schröder R (1977) Supratentorial recurrences of gliomas. Morphological studies in relation to time intervals with astrocytomas. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 37: 75–91
Noetzel H, Rox J, Autoradiographische Untersuchungen über Zellteilung und Zellentwicklung im Gehirn der erwachsenen Maus und des erwachsenen Rhesus-Affen nach Injektion von radioaktivem Thymidin. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 3: 326–342
Paterson JA, Privat A, Ling EA, Leblond CP (1973) Investigation of glial cells in semithin sections. III. Transformation of subependymal cells into glial cells, as shown by radiography after3-Hthymidine injection into the lateral ventricle of the brain of young rats. J Comp Neurol 149: 83–102
Schisano G, Tovi D, Nordenstam H (1963) Spongioblastoma polare of the cerebral hemisphere. J Neurosurg 20: 241–251
Smart I, The subependymal layer of the mouse brain and its cell production as shown by radioautography after thymidine-H3 injection. J Comp Neurol 116: 325–342
Stensaas LJ, Stensaas SS (1968) Light microscopy of glial cells in turtles and birds. Z Zellforsch 91: 315–340
Stensaas LJ, Stensaas SS (1968) An electron microscope study of cells in the matrix and intermediate laminae of the cerebral hemisphere of the 45 mm rabbit embryo. Z Zellforsch 91: 341–365
Völpel M, Szepan B (1981) Periventrikuläre Spongioblastomatose des Großhirns bei Neurofibromatosis Recklinghausen. Lecture on the occasion of the symposium: Zentralnervöse Tumoren im Kindesalter. Mainz, 1981
Zülch KJ (1956) Biologie und Pathologie der Hirngeschwülste. In: Olivecrona H, Tönnis W (ed) Handbuch der Neurochirurgie Bd III. Springer, Berlin, Göttingen, Heidelberg, pp 1–702
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Afra, D., Müller, W., Slowik, F. et al. Supratentorial lobar pilocytic astrocytomas: Report of 45 operated cases, including 9 recurrences. Acta neurochir 81, 90–93 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01401227
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01401227