Tumor Histology 2024- Karim/McConnel/ Callier

Overview of pediatric primary brain tumors

Tumor Precursor Typical location Typical histology
Supratentorial
Craniopharyngioma • Rathke pouch (ectoderm) • Suprasellar region • Nests of stratified squamous
epithelium with internal
areas of
lamellar keratin deposits
• Cholesterol crystals

Infratentorial
Pinealoma • Pineal gland • Dorsal midbrain (compression • Large vacuolated cells with
of tectum, cerebral round nuclei (fried egg
aqueduct, cells)
and hypothalamic inhibiting • Lymphoid stroma
pathways)
• Similar to germ cell
tumors such as testicular
seminoma
Pilocytic • Astrocytes • Posterior cranial fossa • Rosenthal fibers: eosinophilic
astrocytoma fibers with corkscrew-
like configuration
• GFAP positive

Medulloblastoma • Primitive, neuroectodermal tissue • Cerebellar vermis • Small, round blue cells
• Homer-Wright rosette
• Synaptophysin positive

Ependymoma • Ependymal cells • 4th ventricle • Perivascular

pseudorosettes: tumor cells
that are arranged in
a papillary structure around
a central blood vessel
Tumor Histology 2024- Karim/McConnel/ Callier

Overview of adult primary brain tumors

Tumor Precursor Typical locations Typical histology
Glioblastoma • Glial • Cerebral hemispheres • Pleomorphic cells that
multiforme (WHO grade cells (e.g., astrocytes) (supratentorial) form pseudopalisades due
IV astrocytoma) o May cross to central necrosis or hemorrhage
the corpus • Microvascular proliferation
callosum • GFAP positive
(butterfly
glioma)

Meningioma • Arachnoid cap cells • Extra- • Spindle cells arranged in whorls

parenchymal tumor that • Psammoma bodies
can occur
in supratentorial (often
parasagittal)
or infratentorial regions

Hemangioblastoma • Vascular system origin • Cerebellum (infratentorial) • Densely packed thin-walled capillaries

Schwannoma • Schwann cells • Cerebellopontine • Spindle cells in palisades (Antoni A tissue)

angle (infratentorial) alternating with myxoid areas (Antoni B
tissue)
• S-100 positive

Oligodendroglioma • Oligodendrocytes • Frontal • Large vacuolated cells with round nuclei (fried
lobes (supratentorial) egg cells)
• Chicken-wire pattern of capillary anastomoses

Pituitary adenoma • Pituitary adenotrophic • Sella • Monomorphic, acidophilic or basophilic,

cells turcica (supratentorial) polygonal cells arranged in sheets or cords
(typically lactotrophs)
Tumor Histology 2024- Karim/McConnel/ Callier
References:
- Kumar, V., Abbas, A. K., Aster, J. C., & Robbins, S. L. (2015). Neoplasia. In Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (Ninth
edition, pp. 299-382). Elsevier Saunders.
- AMBoss. (n.d.). Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In AMBOSS (Version [insert version number]). Retrieved from
https://next.amboss.com/us/article/H50Klg#Zf87f826ac9e4518d42d934f4e082e9d6