Ganglioglioma

Canglioglioma is a slow-growing glioma ( brain tumor 's own ), which is according to the WHO classification of tumors of the central nervous system, classified as grade I or grade II ( histologically benign tumors).

Gangliogliomas include as Gangliozytome, neuroblastomas or central Neurozytome to the neural tumors; all are derived from nerve cells and are very rare ( incidence of 0.4 % of all brain tumors).

Symptoms

Due to the cortical location Gangliogliomas often cause epilepsy and are the most common association with chronic temporal lobe tumor. In general, the clinical presentation is characterized by chronic, pharmacoresistant seizures, which are often diagnosed late as malignancy.

The incidence and location

Gangliogliomas are very rarely make less than 2% of primary brain tumors. They can occur in principle in each age group, but preferably in young adulthood ( approximately 9-25 years ). In patients with chronic refractory focal epilepsy however, it is the most common type of tumor.

Histologically, this well-differentiated neuroepithale tumor is characterized by neoplastic ganglion cells and neoplastic glial cells - compared to gangliocytoma they have a higher proportion of glial cells. They can in principle occur anywhere in the central nervous system, with approximately two-thirds of them are but localized in the area of the temporal lobe.

Differential Diagnosis

Differential diagnoses include, among other things, the dysembryoplastischen neuroepithelial tumor (DNT), pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, as well as the pilocytic astrocytoma, which also occur preferentially in adolescence.

Therapy

Therapeutic approach is surgical resection ( removal) of the tumor; symptomatic Gangliogliomas be extirpated. With incomplete resection years of gradients after the operation are possible; Relapse ( recurrence ) occur.

A regular clinical follow-up with documentation about epilepsy seizure situation and maintain regular kernspintomografische controls are required.

Anaplastic ganglioglioma

Anaplastic ganglioglioma is a malignant ( glial ) variant of the Ganglioglioms and is characterized by a lack of differentiation. These usually arise from previously low-grade tumors (WHO grade III). They are also among the gangliogliomas very rare ( about 3-5% of all Gangliogliomas ). The recurrence rate in this form is much higher.

The most severe form, the dedifferentiated ganglioglioma, has the WHO grade IV

Desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma

Due to its characteristic clinical and neuropathological features of this rare tumor was included in the WHO Model List (1993); Grade I. This tumor occurs predominantly in the first two years of life and is localized in the cerebral hemispheres.

In infancy, it stands out because of macrocephaly and / or complex partial seizures.