CNS tumor

Diffuse astrocytic and oligodendroglial tumors

Anaplastic oligodendroglioma

Author: Eman Abdelzaher, M.D., Ph.D.

Topic Completed: 1 May 2012

Minor changes: 27 August 2020

Copyright: 2002-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: "Anaplastic oligodendroglioma" CNS

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Table of Contents

Cite this page: Abdelzaher E. Anaplastic oligodendroglioma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/cnstumoranaplasticoligodendroglioma.html. Accessed November 29th, 2021.

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

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