"Funny worm-like profiles" in a meningioma

Howard Chang, MD, PhD

The illustrious Dr. Howard Chang of Michigan State University recently sent me photomicrographs of a meningioma specimen from the posterior fossa of a 63-year-old female. Within the meningioma were noticed "funny worm-like profiles". The specimen was sent to the Centers for Disease Control, which provided reassurance that these profiles were not parasites. The inimitable Dr. John Donahue wondered whether this was simply embedded ependymal lining. I wondered the same thing. Dr. Chang tells me that GFAP was not ordered by the general pathologist signing out this case. Meanwhile, the eminent Dr. Mark Cohen felt -- despite the CDC's pronouncement -- that the structures did not look human. Please help our colleague Dr. Chang by making any diagnostic suggestions in the comments section.