CENTRAL NEUROCYTOMA - PROLIFERATIVE ASSESSMENT BY NUCLEOLAR ORGANIZERREGION STAINING

Proliferative potential of four cases of central neurocytoma were asse ssed by a silver colloid staining technique for argyrophilic protein a ssociated with nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs). All but one tumor had an AgNOR score of less than 2 and were regarded as a benign entit y. However, one tumor tissue from a patient suffering from a recurrent central neurocytoma after 13 years from the first operation possessed a 2.06 AgNOR score, which is not significantly different from others. It is considered that central neurocytoma is an essentially benign ne oplasm, even though the tumor is recurrent. The present study revealed the usefulness of AgNOR staining for a retrospective assessment of th e proliferative potential of central neurocytomas.