Pilomyxoid astrocytoma

Angiocentricity, a hallmark of pilomyxoid astroctyoma, is demonstrated here

Although thought to be related to pilocytic astrocytoma, full characterization of pilomyxoid astrocytoma has yet to yield a definitive WHO grade for these tumors (although the prior edition of the WHO book pegged this tumor as grade II). Pilomyxoid astrocytomas differ from pilocytic astrocytomas in that they tend not to be biphasic or harbor Rosenthal fibers.

Best Post of February 2018: Tau accumulations in the brains of woodpeckers

The next in our "Best of the Month" series comes from February 21, 2018

Dr. Peter Cummings makes another appearance on the blog, this time as senior author on a paper entitled: Tau Accumulations in the Brains of Woodpeckers. Eight of ten woodpeckers examined showed cerebral tau accumulations, whereas no control brains (red-winged blackbirds) were positive.This is significant in that there has been some research interest in developing football helmets based on the protective design that has evolved to protect the brains of woodpeckers.But maybe the relatively short life of the woodpecker (average less than 10 years) precludes the need for this protective adaptation. Thanks to Dr. Mark Cohen for alerting me to this study.

Ann McKee named to Time Magazine's Annual List of the 100 Most Influential People in the World

Ann McKee, MD

Dr. Ann McKee joins Rihanna, Donald Trump, and Oprah Winfrey on the list of Time Magazines's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2018. The full list appears in the April 30 issue of Time Magazine. McKee is the chief of neuropathology at the VA Boston Healthcare System and director of the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center.

McKee's research focuses on the long-term effects of concussion, subconcussion and blast injury in contact sports athletes and military veterans, including CTE. Her work has shifted the prevailing paradigm of scientific thought regarding head trauma; she has demonstrated that "mild" head trauma, particularly repetitive mild head trauma, is not just an acute injury - it can provoke a persistent and progressive neurodegeneration that continues long after the traumatic exposure. McKee has published more than 70 percent of the world's cases of CTE ever reported and created the Veterans Affairs - Boston University - Concussion Legacy Foundation (VA-BU-CLF) brain bank, the world's largest repository of brains from individuals exposed to traumatic brain injuries (more than 550) and neuropathologically confirmed CTE (more than 320).

YouTube has lecture by Dr. Arie Perry entitled "Approach to Diagnosis of Glial Neoplasms"

Looking for a good overview of glial neoplasms? There's a lecture on YouTube entitled Approach to Diagnosis of Glial Neoplasms by Dr. Arie Perry. Check it out!

Screenshot of Dr. Perry's Lecture on YouTube

Chordoid Glioma, WHO grade II in a 63-year-old male presenting with disequilibrium and hypothermia

Papillary Glioneuronal Tumor, WHO grade I, in a 33-year-old female

Anaplastic Gangliocytoma in the frontal lobe of a 35-year-old female

This is the latest in several resections and follows two rounds of chemotherapy. Immunomarkers positive for neurofilament, and negative for S100, GFAP, synaptophysin, chromogranin, NeuN, HMB45, and MelanA.

Anaplastic Gangliocytoma (note the necrosis in the lower right corner)

Colloid cyst of the third ventricle

Modified by compressive atrophy, the cyst lining cells would otherwise be columnar with obvious cilia

A different area of the same cyst which more clearly demonstrates cilia

There is a neuropathology museum in Lima, Peru

The Institute of Neurological Science (INCN) in Lima  houses the only "Brain Museum" in Latin America. The  collection contains over 3000 samples from which around 300 are on permanent display, including brains with diverse cerebral diseases and anomalies as well as fetal brains with abnormalities.  Unique photomicrographs and other items are also on display.

Posterior fossa tumor in a 5-month-old girl

The tumor was GAB1 positive (a marker for the SHH pathway).

Desmoplastic./nodular medulloblastoma

Exuberant endothelial reactive hyperplasia next to a subacute infarct biopsied to rule out neoplasia

Endothelial hyperplasia next to an infarct, not to be confused with microvascular proliferation in a glioma