Cytologic features of desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma: a report of two cases.
BACKGROUND
Desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma (DIG) is a rare intracranial tumor of infancy, characterized by solid and cystic components, voluminous size and supratentorial location. Although its histologic features have been reported, there has been no cytologic description of the tumor. Cytologic findings on imprint and aspirated material from two cases of histologically verified DIG are discussed.


METHODS
A 12-month-old male with cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita and a 44-month-old female with episodes of spasm were referred to our center. Radiologic examination revealed a large, cystic, supratentorial mass in both patients. The mass was surgically removed, and histology revealed prominent desmoplasia with a mixture of astroglial and neuronal cells. Cytologic findings on imprint material and the needle aspirates taken from the cystic area of the tumor revealed a few isolated or sheetlike arrangements of small cells positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and a few large cells with abundant cytoplasm and prominent nucleoli, positive for neuronal marker.


CONCLUSIONS
Although distinction between ganglioglioma and DIG may be difficult by cytology alone, with the characteristic clinical presentation and radiologic findings, the possibility of DIG should be kept in mind when the specimens contain both astroglial and neuronal elements.
Hasegawa
Y
Y
Department of Pathology, Kanagawa Children's Medical Center and Yokohama City University Medical Center, Japan.
Hayabuchi
Y
Y
Namba
I
I
Watanabe
T
T
Kato
K
K
Ijiri
R
R
Tanaka
Y
Y
Sekido
K
K
Kigasawa
H
H
Hara
M
M
D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018303:Ganglioglioma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000032:analysis
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D016708:Synaptophysin