title: Practical molecular diagnostics in neuropathology: making a tough job a little easier.
abstract: Neuropathology is a challenging field, in large part because of the consequential decisions that must be made with small biopsy material. This is especially true concerning the most common primary brain tumor, the infiltrative glioma. Fortunately, abundant research has identified specific molecular alterations that are characteristic of gliomas, according to diagnostic class and tumor grade. Such alterations include 1p19q codeletion, EGFR amplification, p16 deletion, and IDH1/2 mutations. Using specific cases as examples, this review illustrates how molecular testing is of great help in avoiding misdiagnoses and enhancing the quality of information provided to clinicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, USA. craig.horbinski@uky.edu
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Horbinski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1 / Q000235:genetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D017353:Gene Deletion; D019942:Genes, p16; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007521:Isocitrate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; C538784:IDH2 protein, human; D007521:Isocitrate Dehydrogenase; C543588:IDH1 protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors