OBJECTIVE: To report an unusual case of giant cell astrocytoma of the retina. DESIGN: Case report. INTERVENTION: A 10-month-old girl with tuberous sclerosis was found to have bilateral astrocytic hamartomas, the right eye being prominently involved by elevated and pedunculated lesions. At 7 years of age, she had posterior subcapsular cataract, retinal detachment, and subretinal exudation develop in the right eye. At 12 years of age, her blind, painful right eye had to be enucleated because of neovascular glaucoma and a spontaneous scleral perforation. RESULTS: Histopathologic examination showed that the entire vitreous cavity was filled with a mixture of tumor, granulation tissue, and necrotic debris. Part of the tumor was composed of spindle-shaped glial cells. The remainder was composed of large gemistocytic cells that contained large atypical nuclei and copious amounts of cytoplasm, which was intensely eosinophilic in some areas. The tumor contained foci of necrosis and rare mitotic figures. It had infiltrated the parenchyma of the retrolaminar nerve and extended to the surgical margin. Areas of unequivocal choroidal invasion were also identified. The tumor cells were intensely immunoreactive for neuron-specific enolase and S-100 protein. In contrast, glial fibrillary acidic protein was only minimally positive. CONCLUSIONS: The histologic and immunohistochemical features of this retinal tumor resemble those of subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, a characteristic lesion in tuberous sclerosis. Although this unusual giant cell astrocytoma of the retina had atypical histopathologic features and local aggressive behavior, the systemic prognosis was excellent.
OBJECTIVE: To report an unusual case of giant cell astrocytoma of the retina. DESIGN: Case report. INTERVENTION: A 10-month-old girl with tuberous sclerosis was found to have bilateral astrocytic hamartomas, the right eye being prominently involved by elevated and pedunculated lesions. At 7 years of age, she had posterior subcapsular cataract, retinal detachment, and subretinal exudation develop in the right eye. At 12 years of age, her blind, painful right eye had to be enucleated because of neovascular glaucoma and a spontaneous scleral perforation. RESULTS: Histopathologic examination showed that the entire vitreous cavity was filled with a mixture of tumor, granulation tissue, and necrotic debris. Part of the tumor was composed of spindle-shaped glial cells. The remainder was composed of large gemistocytic cells that contained large atypical nuclei and copious amounts of cytoplasm, which was intensely eosinophilic in some areas. The tumor contained foci of necrosis and rare mitotic figures. It had infiltrated the parenchyma of the retrolaminar nerve and extended to the surgical margin. Areas of unequivocal choroidal invasion were also identified. The tumor cells were intensely immunoreactive for neuron-specific enolase and S-100 protein. In contrast, glial fibrillary acidic protein was only minimally positive. CONCLUSIONS: The histologic and immunohistochemical features of this retinal tumor resemble those of subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, a characteristic lesion in tuberous sclerosis. Although this unusual giant cell astrocytoma of the retina had atypical histopathologic features and local aggressive behavior, the systemic prognosis was excellent.