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Glioblastoma multiforme, intraoperative smear preparation of drop metastasis, H&E x 100 with arrow

Last updated on Saturday, April 4 2009 by jdmiles

Glioblastoma multiforme, intraoperative smear preparation of drop metastasis, H&E x 100 with arrow

This person underwent spine surgery to resect an extramedullary tumor. The location of the tumor suggested that it should be a schwannoma or meningioma. However, once the tumor was reached, a smear preparation was done. The smear preparation is done during surgery, allowing rapid tentative identification of the tumor interoperatively. Individual tumor cells can be seen in this smear. Note the fibrous process and large oval nuclei (unnecessarily large green arrow), which are strongly suggestive of some kind of astrocytic tumor. The presence of astrocytoma as an extramedullary lesion was the key to this patient`s eventual diagnosis. Imaging of his head was obtained, and he was found to have a Glioblastoma.