Angiocentric glioma: a clinicopathologic review of 5 tumors with identification of associated cortical dysplasia.

CONTEXT

Angiocentric glioma is a rare, epilepsy-associated, low-grade neoplasm with a characteristic perivascular growth pattern.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinicopathologic features of 5 angiocentric gliomas and to evaluate for coexistent malformation of cortical development/cortical dysplasia.

DESIGN

Retrospective review of the clinicopathologic features of 5 angiocentric gliomas (3 males and 2 females; median age at surgery, 10 years; range, 3-19 years).

RESULTS

Seizures were the most common presenting symptom (n = 4); 1 patient presented with headaches. Four of the tumors were located in the parieto-occipital, parietal, or temporal cortex and 1 case arose in the thalamus. All tumors consisted of an angiocentric growth pattern of bipolar spindle cells with mild pleomorphism. Three tumors also demonstrated a focal solid growth pattern. Evidence of adjacent malformation of cortical development/focal cortical dysplasia was observed in 4 of 4 cases with sufficient tissue for evaluation; all were Palmini et al type I lesions (type IA, n = 1; type IB, n = 3). All patients were alive at last known follow-up (17-131 months).

CONCLUSIONS

The thalamic location of 1 tumor represents an undescribed location for this typically superficial cortical tumor. A subset of angiocentric gliomas, similar to other low-grade chronic epilepsy-related tumors of childhood, are associated with coexistent malformation of cortical development, suggesting a developmental basis to their origin.