Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma

ABSTRACT

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma is known as a rare specialized type of cerebral astrocytoma. Clinical and pathological characteristics are summarized as follows 1) Clinically-young patients, presentation with seizure and increased intracranial pressure symptoms, and relatively favorable clinical courses. 2) Pathologically-predilection for temporal and parietal lobes, superficial location involving leptomeninges but not dura mater, circumscribed nature, marked pleomorphism with spindle cells, multinucleated giant cells, and lipid laden xanthomatous cells, few mitoses, no necrosis, rich reticulin networks, and demonstration of glial fibrillary acidic proteins. Its optimal treatment is considered to be a complete surgical excision and the value of radiotherapy is uncertain. Three cases of supratentorial intrinsic brain tumor and a case of spinal cord tumor full filling the above clinical and histological characteristics are presented.