NUCLEAR GROOVES IN EPENDYMOMA - CYTOLOGIC STUDY OF 21 CASES

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of crush preparation smears in the di agnosis of ependymonas. STUDY DESIGN: The study group consisted of 21 patients aged 7-61 years. All were admitted to Shiraz University hospi tals (Nemazi and Beheshti) with intramedullary tumors. Fourteen were v entricular (fourth ventricle), 1 was in the parietal lobe, 5 were in t he lumbosacral region and 1 was in the cauda equina. Intraoperative cr ush preparation smears were obtained from tissue, which was sent for f rozen section and diagnosed cytologically. The control group, consiste d od 123 intracranial tumors (meningiomas, schwannomas, astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, medulloblastomas, pituitary adenomas, choroid plex us papilloma, craniopharyngioma and metastatic tumors). RESULTS: The s mears in II cases revealed perivascular pseudorosettes, and the smears in 21 cases revealed ependymal rosettes. Papillary clusters, calcific ation and intranuclear inclusions were seen in two cases. Acinar struc tures were seen in seven cases. Myxomatous material was seen in one ca se. Nuclear grooves were seen in 15 cases. All cases were diagnosed as ependymomas. Biopsy specimens confirmed the cytologic diagnosis. The tumors in the control group showed no evidence of nuclear grooves. CON CLUSION: Fifteen cases of ependymona showed a substantial number of nu clear grooves. lntraoperative crush preparation smears were very usefu l in the diagnosis of ependymomas and helped with the rapid interpreta tion of frozen sections.