Medulloblastoma: histological evaluation and prognosis ― a clinical, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study

Eighty-four cases of medulloblastoma were examined immunohistochemically and 12 by electron microscopy to assess differentiation in these tumors. Based upon the largest series of medulloblastoma studied to date, we demonstrated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positivity, in 25% (21/84) of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child's nervous system 1987-01, Vol.3 (2), p.74-80
Main Authors: SZYMAS, J, BICZYSKO, W, GABRYEL, P, MORKOWSKI, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Biological and medical sciences
Cerebellar Neoplasms - analysis
Cerebellar Neoplasms - pathology
Cerebellar Neoplasms - therapy
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - analysis
Humans
Immunoenzyme Techniques
Infant
Male
Medical sciences
Medulloblastoma - analysis
Medulloblastoma - pathology
Medulloblastoma - therapy
Neurology
Prognosis
Retrospective Studies
Tumors of the nervous system. Phacomatoses
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Summary:Eighty-four cases of medulloblastoma were examined immunohistochemically and 12 by electron microscopy to assess differentiation in these tumors. Based upon the largest series of medulloblastoma studied to date, we demonstrated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positivity, in 25% (21/84) of these tumors showing glial differentiation. GFAP-positive cells were seen more frequently in the desmoplastic variant of medulloblastoma (7/10). Under electron microscopy, the major part of the 12 tumors studied appeared primitive and undifferentiated. In 7 cases, groups of cells were found with primitive neuronal and/or glial features. GFAP positivity was confirmed at light microscopy level in all cases where cells showed glial differentiation in the form of glial-like filaments in cytoplasma. However, a follow-up questionnaire study of those patients who had received only surgical treatment revealed no difference in mean survival time between GFAP-positive and GFAP-negative medulloblastoma.
ISSN:0256-7040
1433-0350
DOI:10.1007/BF00271127