Primary cerebral neuroblastomas. A clinicopathological study of one adolescent and five adult patients.

Neuronal differentiation was demonstrated by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy in the cerebral neoplasms of one adolescent and five adult patients. The tumours exhibited a wide spectrum of cellular differentiation from low to high grade malignancy which seems to correlate well with their biological behaviour. The natural history of these 6 cerebral neuroblastomas is rather long compared to that of other malignant primary cerebral neoplasms of adulthood; however, 2 patients died, one survived about 5 yr after initial symptoms whilst an untreated patient survived more than 12 yr. It is suggested that morphological grading along the lines of Kernohan's system may be useful in determining the prognosis and postoperative management of patients with cerebral neuroblastomas.