Multiple sclerosis and oligodendroglioma

Two cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) and oligodendroglioma are reviewed, in creasing the total number of reported cases to II. In this series, the clin ical onset of MS preceded the discovery of the tumor by a mean of 15 years. No distinguishing features of oligodendroglioma were characteristic of MS- associated cases. However, there was an overrepresentation of benign MS. Al though this could result from biased ascertainment other possibilities, inc luding effective remyelination mediated by mitotically active oligodendrocy tes, or secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines by the tumor tissue, canno t be excluded. It is likely that the coexistence of MS and oligodendrogliom a is due to chance alone, nonetheless the possibility that glioma derived f actors can moderate the disease course in MS is deserving of further study.