A histopathological contribution to supratentorial glioma grading, definition of mixed gliomas and recognition of low grade glioma with Rosenthal fibers
Jmj. Cillekens et al., A histopathological contribution to supratentorial glioma grading, definition of mixed gliomas and recognition of low grade glioma with Rosenthal fibers, J NEURO-ONC, 46(1), 2000, pp. 23-43
Background Previous glioma studies have described separate grading systems
for oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas. Many of these gliomas contain mixt
ures of neoplastic astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Prognosis may be relate
d to the percentages of these neoplastic components. Previous survival/grad
ing studies have been limited to histopathological features but have not ev
aluated the importance of percentages of neoplastic components. This study
attempted to perceive the relative importance of percentages of neoplastic
astrocytes and oligodendrocytes for definition of astroglial, oligodendrogl
ial and mixed oligoastroglial tumors. After determination of these limits w
e explored the possibility to develop a grading system for common supratent
orial gliomas based on reproducible histopathological features.
Methods A retrospective study was performed of 362 cases of unselected supr
atentorial glioma. One hundred and thirty-eight binary and nine continuous
histopathological variables, amongst which percentages of neoplastic astroc
ytes and oligodendrocytes, were scored and related to survival. Only well r
eproducible histological features were accepted in Cox regression to define
glioma grades.
Results and conclusions Supratentorial gliomas appeared to be composed of v
ariable percentages of neoplastic oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, but this
spectrum did not correspond to a continuous change in prognosis. Gliomas c
ontaining 30% or more neoplastic oligodendrocytes had a slightly better out
come (p < 0.0432) but higher percent ages did not further improve prognosis
. Percentages of neoplastic astrocytes were not correlated to survival. We
therefore propose to designate gliomas containing 30% or more neoplastic ol
igodendrocytes as oligodendroglial tumors, and others as astroglial tumors.
From a prognostic point of view there is no need to recognize mixed oligoa
strocytomas.
An interesting finding was the recognition of a low grade glioma group with
Rosenthal fibers, which had the longest postoperative survival. Another pr
ognosticator of interest concerns the mitotic rate as a continuous variable
. Atypical mitoses indicated the worst survival, after necrosis. It was pos
sible to develop a grading system for all supratentorial gliomas using six
reproducible histological parameters: necrosis, atypical mitoses, the mitot
ic rate, endothelial proliferative activity, percentage of neoplastic oligo
dendrocytes and Rosenthal fibers. This resulted in four grades for astrogli
al tumors (p < 0.002) and three grades for oligodendroglial tumors (p < 0.0
08) which differed significantly within each group with respect to survival
.