Oligodendroglioma

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Oligodendroglioma

Last updated on Wednesday, September 10 2008 by jdmiles

Related images:

Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma, H&E stained x 400
Anaplasia in oligodendroglial tumors is characterized by a brisk mitotic rate and microvascular proliferation (the latter demonstrated here in the top half of the photograph).

Oligodendroglioma, high power H&E
This is an H&E stain of an oligodendroglioma. Note the numerous cells with small, dark nuclei, and surrounded by pale cytoplasm. This is what gives the tissue the appearance that is often described as looking like a bunch of fried eggs. Look at the slide of normal neuropil (below) for comparison...

Oligodendroglioma, minigemistocytes, H&E stain x 400
Minigemistocytes are an expected feature within oligodendroglial tumors and should not lead to a diagnosis of mixed oligoastrocytoma. In contrast to gemistocytic astrocytoma cells, which demonstrate pleomorphic astrocytic nuclear morphology and ill defined...

Oligodendroglioma, cortical invasion with perineuronal satellitosis
In contrast to low grade astrocytic tumors which often appear to arrest migration at the gray-white junction, oligodendrogliomas readily stream into the cerebral cortex where the cells spread along pathways of least resistance, resulting in perivascular and perineural accumulation of tumor cells...

Oligodendroglioma, Intraoperative smear preparation x 200
Cytologic evaluation is viable in distinguishing oligodendroglial and astrocytic tumors. In oligodendrogliomas, nuclear morphology demonstrates striking monomorphism despite relatively high cellularity.

Normal Neuropil for Comparison
This is an H&E-stained section of normal neuropil. Move your mouse over the image to see the normal oligodendrocytes.

Oligodendroglioma, macrocalcifications, H&E stain x 40.
Microcalcifications are encountered in the majority of oligodendroglial tumors. Rarely, macrocalcification may also be seen.

Oligodendroglioma, microcalcifications, H&E stain x 200
Tumor cells in the vicinity of microcalcifications may appear to stream, resembling astrocytes. However, high cellularity combined with low nuclear pleomorphism allows recognition of the tumor cells as oligodendroglial.

Oligodendroglioma, H&E stain x 400
Streaming of tumor cells in the vicinity of microcalcifications often increased to the resemblance of the tumor cells to astrocytomas. However, careful attention to nuclear morphology allows distinction.