Comparison of cytological features of myxopapillary ependymomas on crush preparations. Diagn Cytopathol 2009 Aug;37(8):607-12
Date
05/22/2009Pubmed ID
19459157DOI
10.1002/dc.21094Scopus ID
2-s2.0-67651005871 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 5 CitationsAbstract
Myxopapillary ependymoma (ME) is a rare neoplasm found predominantly in the sacro-coccygeal region in adults and is characterized by its distinct epithelial and stromal components. From 1990 to April 2008, a total of 10 ME cases were recorded at our institution. Six out of 10 cases underwent frozen section examination with concomitant crush preparations, which forms the basis of this study. The clinical and cytologic findings in all six cases were reviewed. There were four males and two females. The age ranges from 15 to 36 years with a mean age of 27 years. The epithelial component of ME is strikingly similar for all six cases showing tumor cells appearing singly or in loose clusters, most with papillary branching. There was also presence of indistinct cell boundaries, tapered cytoplasmic prolongations, wispy/fragile cytoplasm, and uniform oval-to-fusiform shaped nuclei with an evenly distributed chromatin pattern. The stromal component was composed mainly of thick, metachromatic material and adenoid cystic-like areas. One case showed rosette-like structures. These aforementioned characteristics can be utilized to distinguish ME from other primary and metastatic tumors such as meningioma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, chordoma, mucinous adenocarcinoma, chondrosarcoma, and germ cell tumors.
Author List
Bradly DP, Reddy VB, Cochran E, Gattuso PAuthor
Elizabeth J. Cochran MD Adjunct Professor in the Pathology department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentAdult
Central Nervous System Neoplasms
Cytological Techniques
Ependymoma
Female
Humans
Male
