Clinical and Morphological Investigations on Ependymomas and their Tissue Cultures

Abstract

A morphological investigation was carried out on 56 [human] ependymomas cultivated in vitro as short-term cultures in roller tubes. The tumors were histologically classified as cellular and fibrillary ependymomas, subependymomas, myxopapillary and malignant ependymomas. A very good growth was detected in 32 cases, most of them being cellular and malignant ependymomas. The prevailing growth pattern was epithelial in type, i.e., proliferating cells forming a carpet. In some cases, in the 1st stages of growth elongated bipolar cells did appear but they evolved later as flattened epithelial elements. In 4 cases, a mixed proliferation of piloid astrocytes and ependymal cells was seen; these tumors were regarded as mixed gliomas. In 46 cases in exact evaluation of the history was possible. Although no correlation was found between histology and survival time, the longest survival was observed in spinal tumors. Tumors in children had a slightly worse prognosis in comparison with adults. A radical removal of the tumor was generally followed by a longer survival time, although the operative procedure employed did not seem to influence the development of recurrences.