CNS tumor
Oligodendroglial tumors
Anaplastic oligodendroglioma
Revised: 2 January 2018, last major update May 2012
Copyright: (c) 2002-2017, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: "Anaplastic oligodendroglioma" CNS
Oligodendroglial tumors
Anaplastic oligodendroglioma
Author: Eman Abdelzaher, M.D., Ph.D.
Topic Completed: 1 May 2012
Revised: 2 January 2018, last major update May 2012
Copyright: (c) 2002-2017, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: "Anaplastic oligodendroglioma" CNS
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Terminology | Grading | Radiology description | Radiology images | Case reports | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Cytology description | Differential diagnosisCite this page: Abdelzaher E. Anaplastic oligodendroglioma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/cnstumoranaplasticoligodendroglioma.html. Accessed May 29th, 2020.
Definition / general
- Oligodendroglioma with increased mitotic activity, often associated with microvascular proliferation and necrosis
- 3.5% of adult supratentorial malignant gliomas
- Preferentially located in frontal lobe
- Mean age of onset is 48 years
- Mean survival is 4 years
- Tumors with 1p- are particularly sensitive to chemotherapy
Terminology
- Also called malignant oligodendroglioma
Grading
- WHO grade III
Radiology description
- Shows enhancement
Radiology images
Images hosted on other servers:
MR imaging
Case reports
- 9 year old boy with disseminated tumor via CSF resembling inflammatory process (Hum Pathol 2005;36:854)
- 33 year old man with case involving metastases to bone marrow (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2004;128:489)
Gross description
- May be areas of necrosis (as with grade II tumors)
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Compared to grade II, have increased cellularity, nuclear atypia, mitotic activity, microvascular proliferation and necrosis
- Gliofibrillary oligodendrocytes and minigemistocytes are frequent
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
Classic and anaplastic oligodendroglioma
Anaplastic focus
Brisk mitotic rate
Florid microvascular proliferation
Bone marrow metastasis - figure 1: granular eosinophilic cytoplasm with eccentric nuclei and increased N/C ratio; 2: GFAP+; 3: primary tumor
Cytology description
- Hypercellular, with loosely cohesive and single cells, moderate pleomorphism, vacuolated background, mitotic activity (Acta Cytol 2003;47:293)
Differential diagnosis
- Metastatic carcinoma: renal cell carcinoma is EMA+, usually no calcifications
- Small cell astrocytoma: see Cancer 2004;101:2318
