title: Spinal glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands and meningeal dissemination: histopathological and radiological study of a pediatric case.
abstract: Cerebral and spinal location of glioneuronal tumors have been recently described as a novel type of primary CNS neoplasia. A distinctive rare form of glioneuronal tumors with neuropil-like islands (GTNI) have been reported to occur in the adult cerebrum, whereas spinal GTNI localization is extremely rare. In the present report we describe a case of a 15-month-old child with a spinal GTNI of the cervical region and meningeal dissemination. Histologically the tumor was composed of round, small neurocytic-like cells arranged around eosinophilic neuropil cores and embedded in a diffuse fibrillar glial component forming prominent "rosetted" neuropil islands displaying strong immunoreactivity for neuronal markers. Cerebral GTNI shows abundant glial components not rarely exhibiting anaplastic features that justify their inclusion within the group of diffuse astrocytomas. In contrast, including our case, spinal GTNI do not show histological evidence of anaplastic features and exhibits a significant neuronal component that may imply considering these lesions in a separate group. Nevertheless, due to their exceptional rarity, the natural history of these lesions is not yet fully understood, but spinal GTNI seems to have an unfavorable clinical course despite their benign histopathological features, which must be taken into account for appropriate treatment and follow-up of the patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology I, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy. poliani@med.unibs.it
authors.forename: Pietro Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Poliani
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sperli
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valentini
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Armentano
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bercich
authors.forename: Maria Fausta
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corriero
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brisigotti
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quattrone
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lanza
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D009380:Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy