Anaplastic Ependymoma With Ganglionic Differentiation: Report of a Rare Case and Implications in Diagnosis

Int J Surg Pathol. 2017 Oct;25(7):644-647. doi: 10.1177/1066896917710716. Epub 2017 May 29.

Abstract

Ependymomas are glial neoplasms with rare cases exhibiting neuronal differentiation. We describe a case of spinal anaplastic ependymoma with ganglionic differentiation in a 28-year-old woman. The ganglionic component was labeled by synaptophysin, whereas the rest of the tumor showed features of an anaplastic ependymoma. Stem cell marker MELK was noted to stain both the neoplastic ependymal and ganglionic components, possibly suggesting a stem cell/progenitor origin for the tumor with subsequent divergent differentiation.

Keywords: MELK; ependymoma; ganglion; stem cell.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cell Differentiation*
  • Ependymoma / diagnosis
  • Ependymoma / pathology*
  • Ependymoma / surgery
  • Female
  • Ganglia, Spinal / cytology
  • Ganglia, Spinal / pathology*
  • Ganglia, Spinal / surgery
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / analysis
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / analysis
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / surgery
  • Thoracic Vertebrae

Substances

  • MELK protein, human
  • BRAF protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf