Ganglioglioma with a tanycytic ependymoma as the glial component

Abstract

We studied a cystic ganglioglioma (GG) located in the right frontal lobe of the brain. Interestingly, the fibrillary spindle glial cells were often arranged in a fascicular pattern, and the generally uniform, round-to-oval delicate nuclei appeared to resemble those of ependymoma; and the neoplastic neurons often contained neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). The glial component was positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and occasionally contained granular or microvesicular structures positive for epithelial membrane antigen. Ultrastructural investigation revealed that the glial cells were ependymal in nature; intracytoplasmic lumina and intercellular microrosettes lined with cilia and microvilli, as well as long zonulae adherentes, were evident. In addition, chromogranin A-positive granular staining, neurosecretory-granule-like structures, and parallel arrays of microtubules were sometimes associated with the blood vessels. We considered the present case to be an unusual example of GG with an ependymoma, more precisely a tanycytic ependymoma, as the glial component; to our knowledge, the existence of ependymoma as the main glial component of this particular tumor has not been described before. The occurrence of NFTs, which has been reported in several cases of GG, was an additional, unusual feature.