Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor of the fourth ventricle with neurocytoma component

Abstract

Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor (RGNT) was first published in 2002 and was described as a benign and indolent tumor. It was also included in the 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors as a grade 1 tumor for its benign clinical behavior and the possibility of surgical cure. Pathologically, RGNT is a mixed neuronal-glial tumor which consists of two distinct histological components-one with uniform neurocytes forming rosettes and/or perivascular pseudorosettes and the other being astrocytic in nature resembling pilocytic astrocytoma (biphasic pattern). We present the clinical course and pathological findings of two distinctively different cases. The first one was a 4-year-old girl with head trauma and a tumor which was incidentally found by CT. Pathology revealed that the tumor contained neurocytoma components and areas of relatively high proliferative ability with the first report of the presence of midsized bright elliptic cells. The other case was a 19-year-old girl whose imaging studies showed hydrocephalus and a brain stem tumor. She underwent endoscopic third ventriculostomy and biopsy, followed by observation. An MRI taken 6 months later showed progression of the tumor and she subsequently had the tumor excised. We are considering the possibility for our RGNT cases to correspond to a higher WHO grade as they have shown rapid progression, contrary to the already established, and their character, origin, differential diagnosis, and treatment plans have been discussed.