Granular Cell Astrocytoma: Report of a Case

Abstract

We report here a rare case of granular cell astrocytoma. A 75-year-old man was admitted to Inha University Hospital with a three-month history of language deterioration. In a magnetic resonance imaging, a 6.5 cm-sized heterogeneous enhancing mass was seen in both the frontal lobes and the anterior genu of the corpus callosum. A stereotactic biopsy was performed. The tumor was composed of large and small round cells with abundant intracytoplasmic granules. The nuclei were bland, round to oval, and often eccentrically located. The cytoplasm of the tumor cells was positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and S-100 protein.

Granular cell tumor of the brain: case report and review of literature

“…In addition to considerable nuclear enlargement and atypia, GCAs frequently exhibit extensive eosinophilic nucleoli, characteristics that are not common in reactive CNS lesions in macrophages. To differentiate GCA from other disorders, it is also useful to look for a conventional infiltrating astrocytoma component and tumor cells that are bigger than macrophages [ 16 ].…”

Epithelioid Glioblastoma with Leptomeningeal Gliomatosis – Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…It is well established that GBM can exhibit a range of morphological features. Rare presentations of granular cell GBM [8][9][10] and rhabdoid GBM [11][12][13] have been reported. However, these may also be mistaken for metastatic carcinoma.…”

Mesenchymal/radioresistant traits in granular astrocytomas: evidence from a combined clinical and molecular approach

“…in 1973, represent a rare variant (59 cases reported to date) of infiltrative astrocytoma characterized by a distinctive population of large, periodic acid–Schiff (PAS)‐positive granular cells . The histogenesis of GCAs has been widely investigated by means of morphological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses . Although the aggressive behaviour of GCAs has been associated with a high frequency of allelic losses in previous studies, a specific molecular trait of these uncommon lesions has been investigated by only a few authors, with conflicting results .…”

“…1 The histogenesis of GCAs has been widely investigated by means of morphological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses. [2][3][4][5][6] Although the aggressive behaviour of GCAs has been associated with a high frequency of allelic losses in previous studies, a specific molecular trait of these uncommon lesions has been investigated by only a few authors, with conflicting results. 2,[7][8][9][10] Therefore, the question of whether the granular appearance is merely a rare phenotypic change or a marker that could be used to identify a distinct and genetically defined subgroup of astrocytomas remains unanswered.…”