Supratentorial ependymoma with glial component of two different histologies and neuropil-like islands: a case report.

Glioneuronal tumors with neuropil-like islands (GTNIs) are a basically infiltrating astrocytoma or mixed oligoastrocytoma, containing large neuropil-like islands (NIs). Recently, we experienced a peculiar case of supratentorial ependymoma with NIs. A 29-month-old girl presented with seizure and a brain magnetic resonance image revealed a huge heterogeneous mass in the left lateral ventricle. Histologically, glial components of the tumor showed two different histologies: anaplastic ependymoma and myxopapillary ependymomatous features. The latter was admixed with numerous NIs. Immunohistochemically, the glial components expressed GFAP and a paranuclear dot pattern of EMA and CD99, whereas the NIs were positive for synaptophysin and MAP2. KI-67 was high in the anaplastic ependymoma, but very low in the fascicles of spindle cells and NIs. Quantitative PCR confirmed mRNA expression of five genes related to neuronal differentiation in both the glial and neuronal components of this tumor. Our case suggests that ependymoma with NIs may be in a spectrum of GTNIs.