Skip to main content

Pilocytic Astrocytoma

  • Chapter
  • 130 Accesses

Abstract

There is a variety of subtypes of astrocytoma that are important to distinguish from the fibrillary-type astrocytic neoplasms because of differences with regard to clinical presentation, prognosis, and ultimately therapy. Probably the most common of these variant tumors is the pilocytic astrocytoma. With the exception of the World Health Organization (WHO) grading schema, pilocytic astrocytomas are generally not graded (1). According to the revised WHO schema for grading astrocytic neoplasms, pilocytic astrocytomas are designated as grade I neoplasms (1).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Kleihues, P., Burger, P.C., Scheithauer, B.W. (1993) Histologic Typing of Tumours of the Central Nervous System. 2nd Ed. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  2. Burger, P.C., Scheithauer, B.W. (1994) Tumors of neuroglia and choroid plexus epithelium. In: Tumors of the Central Nervous System. Washington DC: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Fascicle, 3rd series. pp. 25–161.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Forsyth, P.A., Shaw, E.G., Scheithauer, B.W., O’Fallon, J.R., Layton, D.D., Katzmann, J.A. (1993) 51 cases of supratentorial pilocytic astrocytomas: a clinicopathologic, prognostic, and flow cytometric study. Cancer 72: 1335–1342.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Palma, L., Guidetti, B. (1985) Cystic pilocytic astrocytomas of the cerebral hemispheres: surgical experience with 51 cases and long-term results. J. Neurosurg. 62: 811–815.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hayostek, C.J, Shaw, E.G, Scheithauer, B.W., O’Fallon, J.R., Weiland, T.L., Schomberg, P.J., Kelly, P.J., Hu, T.C. (1993) Astrocytomas of the cerebellum: a comparative clinicopathologic study of pilocytic and diffuse astrocytomas. Cancer 72:856–869.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Ringertz, N., Nordenstam, H. (1951) Cerebellar astrocytoma. J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 10: 343–367.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Civitello, L.A., Packer, R.J., Rorke, L.B., Siegel, K., Sutton, L.N., Schut L. (1988) Leptomeningeal dissemination of low-grade gliomas in childhood. Neurology 38: 562–566.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Allegranza, A., Girlando, S., Arrigoni, G.L., Veronese, S., Mauri, P.A., Gambacorta, M., Pollo, B., Dalla Palma, P., Barbareschi, M. (1991) Proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in central nervous system neoplasms. Virchows Arch. Pathol. Anat. Histopathol. 419: 417–423.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Tomlinson, F.H., Scheithauer, B.W., Hayostek, C.J., Parisi, J.E., Meyer, F.B, Shaw, E.G., Weiland, T.L., Katzmann, J.A., Jack Jr, C.R. (1994) The significance of atypia and histologic malignancy in pilocytic astrocytoma of the cerebellum: a clinicopathologic and flow cytometric study. J. Child. Neurol. 9: 301–310.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Vanden-Berg, S.R. (1992) Current diagnostic concepts of astrocytic tumors. J. Neurpathol. Exp. Neurol. 51: 644–657.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Giannini, C., Scheithauer, B.W., Burger, P.C., Christensen, M.R., Wollan, P.C., Sebo, T.J., Forsyth, P.A., Hayostek, C.J. (1999) Cellular proliferation in pilocytic and diffuse astrocytomas. J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 58: 46–53.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Machen, S.K., Prayson, R.A. (1998) Cyclin D1 and MIB-1 immunohistochemistry in pilocytic astrocytoma: a study of 48 cases. Hum. Pathol. 29: 1511–1516.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Murayama, S., Bouldin, T.W., Suzuki, K. (1992) Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies of eosinophilic granular bodies in astrocytic tumors. Acta Neuropathol. ( Berl ) 83: 408–414.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Lach, B., Sikorska, M., Rippstein, P., Greor, A., Staines, W., Davie, T.R. (1991) Immunoelectron microscopy of Rosenthal fibers. Acta. Neuropathol. ( Berl. ) 81: 503–509.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Shaw, E.G., Scheithauer, B.W., O’Fallon, J.R. (1994) Management of supratentorial low-grade gliomas. Oncology 7: 97104, 107.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Shaw, E.G., Daumas-Duport, C., Scheithauer, B.W., Gilbertson, D.T., O’Fallon, J.R., Earle, J.D., Laws Jr, E.R., Okazaki, H. (1989) Radiation therapy in management of low-grade supratentorial astrocytomas. J. Neurosurg. 70: 853–861.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Sgouros, S., Fineron, P.W., Hockley, A.D. (1995) Cerebellar astrocytoma of childhood: longterm follow-up. Child’s Nerv. Syst. 11: 89–96.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Louis, D.N. (1994) The p53 gene and protein in human brain tumors. J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 53: 11–21.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Prayson, R.A., Cohen, M.L. (2000). Pilocytic Astrocytoma. In: Practical Differential Diagnosis in Surgical Neuropathology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-037-7_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-037-7_7

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61737-201-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-037-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics