Cytopathology of glioneuronal and neuronal tumours with histological correlations

Abstract

Glioneuronal and neuronal tumours constitute a diverse group of tumours that feature neuronal differentiation. In mixed glioneuronal tumours, a glial component is present in addition to the neuronal component. With a few exceptions (eg diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumour) they are well‐circumscribed and slow‐growing tumours, which is why their prognosis is intrinsically favourable after gross total resection. Rendering an intraoperative diagnosis of glioneuronal/neuronal tumour is therefore important—neurosurgeons should remove them to prevent the persistence of clinical symptoms and/or recurrence. In this context, cytopathological examination can be especially useful for assessing cellular details when frozen section artefacts render poor‐quality preparations, as is the case for this group of tumours, which are frequently mistaken for infiltrating gliomas (eg diffuse astrocytoma infiltrating grey matter, oligodendroglioma) on frozen section slides. The aim of this article is to review the cytomorphological features of glioneuronal and neuronal tumours according to the 2021 World Health Organization classification of central nervous system tumours, 5th edition. Additionally, since interpretation in intraoperative cytology relies on intuiting tissue patterns from cytology preparations, representative histological figures of all discussed entities have been included. Clues for specific diagnoses and the primary diagnostic problems encountered during intraoperative procedures are also discussed.