Summary
Classic medulloblastoma is a relatively common and distinct clinicopathologic entity consisting of primitive multipotential cells with differentiating capacity to neuroblastic and/or glial cell lines. Desmoplastic medulloblastoma has some features in common with cerebellar neuroblastoma, in which ultrastructural evidence of significant neuroblastic differentiation is extremely rare. We studied three cerebellar tumors with evidence of neuronal differentiation as compared to four classical desmoplastic medulloblastomas. Two of three tumors contained the regions of different degrees resembling desmoplastic medulloblastoma and one consisted of neuroblastic cells exclusively. This spectrum of differentiation suggests a relationship between cerebellar neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma, especially of the desmoplastic type. The nature of cerebellar neuroblastoma and its nosology are briefly discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Azzarelli B, Richards DE, Anton AH, Roessmann U (1977) Central neuroblastoma. Electron-microscopic observations and catecholamine determinations. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 36:384–397
Bailey B, Cushing HA (1925) Medulloblastoma cerebelli, common type of midcerebellar glioma of childhood. Arch Neurol Psychiat 14:192–224
Barnard RO, Pambakian H (1980) Astrocytic differentiation in medulloblastoma. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 43:1041–1044
Chatty EM, Earl KM (1971) A report of 201 cases with emphasis on the relationship of histological variants to survival. Cancer 28:977–983
Deck JHM, Bigee J, Woodcook SM (1978) The role of glial fibrillary acid protein in the diagnosis of central nervous tumors. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 42:183–190
Ermel AE, Brucher JM (1974) Arguments ultrastructuraux en faveur de l'appartenance du mèdulloblastoma à la lignée neuronale. Acta Neurol Belg 74:208–220
Gullotta F, Kerstin G (1972) The ultrastructure of medulloblastoma in tissue culture. Virchows Arch A [Pathol Anat] 356:111–118
Hirano A, Shin WY (1979) Unattached presynaptic terminal in a cerebellar neuroblastoma in the human. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 5:63–70
Hortem BC, Rubinstein LJ (1976) Primary cerebral neuroblastoma. Clinoco-pathological study of 35 cases. Brain 99:745–765
Kane W, Aronson SM (1967) Gangliogliomatous maturation in cerebellar medulloblastoma. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 9:273–279
Mackay B, Luma MA, Butler JJ (1976) Adult neuroblastoma. Electron-microscopic observations in nine cases. Cancer 37:1334–1351
Mannoji H, Takeshita I, Fukui M, Ohta M, Kitamura K (1981) Glial fibrillary acid protein in medulloblastoma. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 55:63–69
Markesbery W, Walsh J, Frye MD (1980) Ultrastructural study of the medulloblastoma in tissue culture. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 39:20–41
Matakas F, Cervos-Navarro J (1970) The ultrasstructure of medulloblastomas. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 16:271–284
Miles J, Bhandari YS (1970) Cerebellar medulloblastomata in adults. Riview of 18 cases. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 33:208–211
Misugi K, Shimada H (1979) Ultrastructural observations on tumor of the neuroblastoma group. Jpn J Pediatr Surg 11:1149–1156
Palmer JO, Kasselberg AK, Netsky MG (1981) Differentiation of medulloblastoma. Studies including immunohistochemical localization of glial fibrillary acidic protein. J Neurosurg 55:161–169
Pappas C (1981) CNS myelin and synapses in a spontaneous mouse ovarian teratoma showing neuronal differentiation. An immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 40:289–297
Pearl GS, Takei Y (1981) Cerebellar neuroblastoma. Nosology as it relates to medulloblastoma. Cancer 47:772–779
Romansky SG, Crocker DW, Shaw KNF (1978) Ultrastructural studies on neuroblastoma. Evaluation of cytodifferentiation and correlation of morphology and biochemical and survival data. Cancer 42:2392–2398
Rubinstein LJ, Herman MM, Hanbery JW (1974) The relationship between differentiating medulloblastoma and dedifferentiating diffuse cerebellar astrocytoma. Light, electron microscopic, tissue, and organ culture observations. Cancer 33:675–690
Rubinstein LJ (1972) Tumor of the central nervous system. 2nd edn. AFIP, pp 130–151
Rubinstein LJ, Herman MM (1972) A light-and electronmicroscopic study of a temporal lobe ganglioglioma. J Neurol Sci 16:27–48
Sato T, Shimoda A, Takahashi T, Daita G, Takamura H, Hirama M (1980) Congenital cerebellar neuroepithelial tumor with multiple divergent differentiations. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 50:143–146
Shin WY, Laufer H, Lee YC, Aftalion B, Hirano A, Zimmerman HM (1978) Fine structure of a cerebellar neuroblastoma. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 42:11–13
Soejima T (1970) Fine structure of medulloblastoma. Gann 61:17–26
Tazawa K, Soga J, Ito H (1971) Fine structure of neuroblastoma. A case report. Acta Pathol Jpn 21:257–270
Taxy JB (1980) Electron microscopy in the diagnosis of neuroblastoma. Arch Pathol Lab Med 104:355–360
Voigt WH (1968) Elektronenmikroskopische Beobachtungen an menschlichen Medulloblastomen. Dtsch Z Nervenheilk 192:290–309
Vuia O, Hager H (1975) Central neuroblastic tumor associated with smooth muscle fibers. A study in the optic and electron microscopes. Eur Neurol 13:257–272
Yagishita S, Itoh Y, Chiba Y, Yuda K (1978) Cerebral neuroblastoma. Virchows Arch A [Pathol Anat] 381:1–11
Yagishita S, Itoh Y, Chiba Y, Yamashita T, Nakazima F, Kuwabara T (1980) Cerebellar neuroblastoma. A light and ultrastructural study. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 50:139–142
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yagishita, S., Itoh, Y., Chiba, Y. et al. Morphological investigations on cerebellar “neuroblastoma” group. Acta Neuropathol 56, 22–28 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691178
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691178