Oligodendroglioma: The Ultrastructural Spectrum

Abstract

Oligodendroglia, so designated by del Rio Hortega¹ on the basis of their cytology, particularly their scant processes, were subsequently postulated by Bailey and Cushing² to be the progenitors of oligodendrogliomas. The latter authors encountered 9 such tumors in their series of gliomas. Accordingly, they formulated the following description, “Oligodendroglioma is a cellular tumor of peculiar type in which fibrillar astrocytes occasionally appear and the neoplastic cells have spherical nuclei with a heavy chromatin network, and are surrounded by a ring of cytoplasm which stains very feebly by ordinary staining methods. Between the cells is an indefinite material which stains neither for neu-rofibrillae, neuroglia, nor for connective tissue. This material may give the growth somewhat the appearance of the cross-section of a plant. No mitotic figures can be seen. These tumors are prone to become calcified.”

Key Words:

• Histogenesis
• oligodendroglioma
• ultastructure