Summary
This report describes the ultrastructural findings of the sarcomatous component in five cases of gliosarcoma. The tumor contained a heterogenous population of cells with collagen scattered in the interstitium. Three main cell types were found: histocyte-like cells, fibroblast-like cells and undifferentiated cells. The histocyte-like cells had oval nuclei, short and flat rough endoplasmic reticulum, prominent Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, phagocytic vacuoles, ruffled cytoplasmic membrane with filopodia, segmental basal lamina and occasional intercellular junctions. The fibroblast-like cells had elongated nuclei, prominent cisterns of rough endoplasmic reticulum and microfilaments. The undifferentiated cell cytoplasmic processes suggesting differentiation toward histiocyte-like cell. In addition, intermediate cells, myofibroblasts, multinucleated giant cells and xanthomatous cells were also present. Occasional glial processes were interposed between tumor cells. Some were enclosed by cytoplasmic processes of histocyte-like cells and others engulfed within the cytoplasm. Capillary showed surface infoldings, fenestrations of endothelial cells, thickened basal lamina, occasional pericytes and scattered collagen. Some capillaries were surrounded by aggregating histiocyte-like cells and undifferentiated cells. The present findings suggest that (a) the sarcomatous component in gliosarcoma is likely derived from undifferentiated cells with a broad differentiation into histiocytic, fibroblastic and other cell types, (b) endothelial cells and pericytes may not participate in sarcomatous development, (c) capillaries within the sarcomatous component are of non-gliomatous type, and (d) the histiocyte-like cells are capable of phagocytizing glial elements.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arjona V, Meinos J, Linares J, Aguilar D, Diaz-Flores L (1977) Sarcomatoid transformation of the vascular walls in giant cell glioblastoma. Morfol Norm Patol (Buchar) 1: 391–399
Banerjee AK, Sharma BS, Kak VK, Ghatak NR (1989). Gliosarcoma with cartilage formation. Cancer 63: 518–523
Barnard RO, Bradford R, Scott T, Thomas DDT (1986). Gliomyosarcoma. Report of a case of rhabdomyosarcoma arising in a malignant glioma. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 69: 23–27
Diaz-Flores L, Caballero T, Sandrez G, Aguilar D, Mantos S (1979). Nature and histogenesis of the sarcomatous component in mixed sarcoma-glioma forms. Morfol Norm Patol (Buchar) 3: 253–264
Feigin I, Gross SW (1955) Sarcoma arising in glioblastoma of the brain. Am J Pathol 31: 633–653
Feigin I, Allen LB, Lipkin L, Gross SW (1958) The endothelial hyperplasia of cerebral blood vessels with brain tumors and its sarcomatous transformation. Cancer 11: 264–277
Fletcher CDM (1987) Malignant fibrous histiocytoma? Commentary. Histopathology 11: 433–437
Fu YS, Gabbiani G, Kaye GI, Latter R (1975) Malignant soft tissue tumors of probable histiocytic origin (malignant fibrous histiocytomas): general considerations and electron microscopic and tissue culture studies. Cancer 35: 176–198
Ghadially FN (1988) Ultrastructural pathology of the cell and matrix. A text and atlas of physiological and pathological alterations in the fine structure of cellular and extracellular components, 3rd edn. Butterworths, Boston, pp 154–157
Goldman RL (1969) Gliomyosarcoma of the cerebrum. Report of a unique case. Am J Clin Pathol 52: 741–744
Grant JW, Steart PV, Aguzzi A, Jones DB, Gallagher PJ (1989) Gliosarcoma: an immunohistochemical study. Acta Neuropathol 79: 305–309
Greene HSN, Harvey EK (1968) The development of sarcomas from transplants of the hyperplastic stromal endothelium of glioblastoma multiforme. Am J Pathol 53: 483–499
Hirano A, Matsui T (1975) Vascular structures in brain tumors. Hum Pathol 6: 611–621
Ho KL (1984) Ultrastructure of cerebrellar capillary hemangioblastoma. I. Weibel-Palade bodies and stromal cell histogenesis. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 43: 592–608
Kalyanaraman UP, Taraski JJ, Fierer JA, Elwood PW (1981) Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the meninges. Histological, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical studies. J Neurosurg 55: 957–962
Kishikawa M, Tsuda N, Fuji H, Nishimori I, Kihara M (1986). Glioblastoma with sarcomatous component associated with myxoid change. A histochemical, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 70: 44–52
Kochi N, Budka H (1987) Contribution of histocytic cells to sarcomatous development of the gliosarcoma. An immunohistochemical study. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 73: 124–130
Lagace R (1987) The ultrastructural spectrum of malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Ultrastruct Pathol 11: 153–159
Lalitha VS, Rubinstein LJ (1979) Reactive glioma in intracranial sarcoma: a form of mixed sarcoma and glioma “sarcoglioma”. Report of eight cases. Cancer 43: 246–257
Leader M, Collins JPM, Henry K (1987). Anti-α-1-antichymotrypsin staining of 194 sarcomas, 38 carcinomas, and 17 malignant melanomas. Its lack of specificity as a tumour marker. Am J Surg Pathol 11: 133–139
McComb RD, Trevor RJ, Pizzo SV, Bigner DD (1982) Immunohistochemical detection of F-VIII von Willebrand factor in hyperplastic endothelial cells in glioblastoma multiforme and mixed gliosarcoma. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 41: 479–489
McKeever PE, Wichman A, Chronwall BM, Thomas C, Howard R (1984) Sarcoma arising from a gliosarcoma. South Med J 77: 1027–1031
McKeever PE, Smith BH, Êaren JA, Wahl RI, Kornblith PL, Chronwall BM (1987). Products of cell cultured from gliomas. VI. Immunofluorescent, morphometric, and ultrastructural characterization of two different cell types growing from explants of human gliomas. Am J Pathol 127: 358–372
McKeever PE, Fligiel SE, Varani J, Castle RL, Hood TW (1989) Products of cells cultured from gliomas. VII. Extracellular matrix proteins of gliomas which contain glial fibrillary acidic protein. Lab Invest 80: 286–295
Maiuri F, Stella L. Benvenuti D, Giamundo A, Pettinato G (1990) Cerebral gliosarcomas. Correlation of computed tomographic findings, surgical aspect, pathological features, and prognosis. Neurosurgery 26: 261–267
Meis JM, Ho KL, Nelson JS (1990) Gliosarcoma: a histologic and immunohistochemical reaffirmation. Mod Pathol 3: 19–24
Morantz RA, Feigin I, Ransohoff J (1976) Clinical and pathological study of 24 cases of gliosarcoma. J Neurosurg 45: 398–408
Ng HK, Poon WS (1990) Gliosarcoma of the posterior fossa with features of a malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Cancer 65: 1161–1166
Pasquier B, Couderc P, Pasquier D, Panh MH, N'Golet A (1978) Sarcoma arising in oligodendroglioma of the brain: a case with intramedullary and subarachnoid spinal metastases. Cancer 43: 2753–2758
Paulus W, Roggendorf W, Schuppan D (1988) Immunohistochemical investigation of collagen subtypes in human glioblastoma. Virchows Arch [A] 413: 325–332
Pena CE, Felter R (1973) Ultrastructure of a composite gliomasarcoma of the brain. Acta Neuropathol 23: 90–94
Richman AV, Balis GA, Maniscalco JE (1980) Primary intracerebral tumor with mixed chondrosarcoma and glioblastomagliosarcoma or sarcoglioma? J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 39: 329–335
Rubinstein LJ (1956) The development of contiguous sarcomatous and gliomatous tissue in intracranial tumours. J Pathol Bacteriol 71: 441–459
Rubinstein LJ (1964) Morphological problems of brain tumours with mixed cell population. Acta Neurochir [Suppl] (Wien) 10: 141–158
Russell DS, Rubinstein LJ (1989) Pathology of tumours of the nervous system, 5th edn. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 233–237
Rutka JT, Biblin JR, Hoifodt HK, Dougherty DV, Bell CW, McCulloch JR, Davis RL, Wilson CB, Rosenblum ML (1986) Establishment and characterization of a cell line from a human gliosarcoma. Cancer Res 48: 5893–5902
Sarmiento J, Ferrer I, Pons L, Ferrer E (1979) Cerebral mixed tumour: Osteochondrosarcoma-glioblastoma multiforme. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 50: 335–341
Schiffer D, Giordana MT, Mauro A, Migheli A (1983) Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in human cerebral tumours. An immunohistochemical study. Tumori 69: 95–104
Schiffer D, Giordana MT, Mauro A, Migheli A (1984) GFAP, Factor VIII/RAg, laminin and fibronectin in gliosarcomas: an immunohistochemical study. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 63: 108–116
Shibata S (1989) Ultrastructural of capillary walls in human brain tumors. Acta Neuropathol 78: 561–571
Shirasuma K, Sugiyama M, Miyazaki T (1985) Establishment and characterization of neoplastic cells from a malignant fibrous histiocytoma. A possible cell line. Cancer 55: 2521–2532
Sima AAF, Ross RT, Hoag G, Rozdilsky B, Diocee M (1988) Malignant intracranial fibrous histiocytomas. Histologic, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies of two cases. Can J Neurol Sci 13: 138–145
Simpson RHW, Philips JI, Miller P, Hagen D, Anderson JEM (1986) Intracerebral malignant fibrous histiocytoma: a light and electron microscopic study with immunohistochemistry. Clin Neuropathol 5: 185–189
Slowik F, Jellinger K, Gaszo L, Fischer J (1985) Gliosarcomas: histological immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and tissue culture studies. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 67: 201–210
Taxy JB, Battifora H (1977) Malignant fibrous histiocytoma. An electron microscopic study. Cancer 40: 254–267
Vazquez TJ, Ortuno G, Cervos-Navarro J (1970). An ultrastructural study of sphenoidal nuclear bodies found in glioma. Virchows Arch [B] 5: 288–293
Waggener JD, Beggs JL (1976) Vasculature of neural neoplasms. Adv Neurol 15: 72–79
Weibel ER, Palade GE (1964) New cytoplasmic components in arterial endothelial. J Cell Biol 23: 101–112
Westphal M, Haensel M, Mueller D, Laas R, Kunzmann R, Rohde E, Koenig A, Hoelzel F, Hermann HD (1988) Biological and karyotypic characterization of a new cell line derived from human gliosarcoma. Cancer Res 48: 731–740
Wood GS, Beckstead JH, Turner RR, Hendrickson MR, Kempson RL, Warnke RA (1986) Malignant fibrous histocytoma tumor cells resemble fibroblasts. Am J Surg Pathol 10: 323–335
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ho, K.L. Histogenesis of sarcomatous component of the gliosarcoma: an ultrastructural study. Acta Neuropathol 81, 178–188 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334506
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334506