Astrocytic tumors
Updates to Article Attributes
Astrocytic tumours are primary central nervous system tumours that either arises from astrocytes or appear similar to astrocytes on histology having arisen from precursor cells. They are the most common tumours arising from glial cells and can be broadly divided into three groups:
- diffuse, adult-type
- diffuse, paediatric type
- circumscribed
These can further be divided into individual entities as described in the WHO classification of CNS tumours (5th edition, 2021), many of which are molecularly defined 3.
- adult-type diffuse gliomas
- astrocytoma, IDH-mutant: WHO CNS grade 2 to 4
- glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype: WHO CNS grade 4
- paediatric-type low-grade gliomas
- angiocentric glioma: WHO CNS grade 1
- diffuse astrocytoma, MYB- or MYBL1-altered: WHO CNS grade 1
- diffuse low-grade glioma, MAPK pathway-altered
- paediatric-type high-grade gliomas
- circumscribed gliomas
- astroblastoma:
- high-grade astrocytoma with piloid features
- pilocytic astrocytoma: WHO CNS grade 1
- pilomyxoid astrocytoma: WHO CNS grade 2
- pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma: WHO CNS grade 2 or 3
-
subependymal giant cell astrocytoma: WHO CNS
grade1grade 1
Additionally, some tumours also contain astrocytic components, and it is often this component that dictates biological behaviour. Examples include:
Most of these tumours have strikingly differing demographics, imaging appearances, treatment and prognosis and thus they are, along with spinal astrocytomas discussed separately.
Note: anaplastic astrocytoma, gliomatosis cerebri, fibrillary astrocytoma and protoplasmic astrocytoma, gemistocytic astrocytoma are no longer recognised as distinct entities in the current WHO classification of CNS tumours.
-<a href="/articles/pleomorphic-xanthoastrocytoma">pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma</a>: WHO CNS grade 2</li>- +<a href="/articles/pleomorphic-xanthoastrocytoma">pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma</a>: WHO CNS grade 2 or 3</li>
-<a href="/articles/subependymal-giant-cell-astrocytoma">subependymal giant cell astrocytoma</a>: WHO CNS grade1</li>- +<a href="/articles/subependymal-giant-cell-astrocytoma">subependymal giant cell astrocytoma</a>: WHO CNS grade 1</li>
-</ul><p>Additionally, some tumours also contain astrocytic components, and it is often this component that dictates biological behaviour. Examples include:</p><ul><li><a href="/articles/ganglioglioma">ganglioglioma</a></li></ul><p>Most of these tumours have strikingly differing demographics, imaging appearances, treatment and prognosis and thus they are, along with <a href="/articles/spinal-astrocytoma">spinal astrocytomas</a> discussed separately.</p><p><strong>Note:</strong> <a href="/articles/anaplastic-astrocytoma-historical">anaplastic astrocytoma</a>, <a href="/articles/gliomatosis-cerebri">gliomatosis cerebri</a>, <a href="/articles/fibrillary-astrocytoma-historical">fibrillary astrocytoma</a> and <a href="/articles/protoplasmic-astrocytoma-historical">protoplasmic astrocytoma</a>, <a href="/articles/gemistocytic-astrocytoma-historical">gemistocytic astrocytoma</a> are no longer recognised as distinct entities in the current <a href="/articles/who-classification-of-cns-tumours-1">WHO classification of CNS tumours</a></p>- +</ul><p>Additionally, some tumours also contain astrocytic components, and it is often this component that dictates biological behaviour. Examples include:</p><ul><li><a href="/articles/ganglioglioma">ganglioglioma</a></li></ul><p>Most of these tumours have strikingly differing demographics, imaging appearances, treatment and prognosis and thus they are, along with <a href="/articles/spinal-astrocytoma">spinal astrocytomas</a> discussed separately.</p><p><strong>Note:</strong> <a href="/articles/anaplastic-astrocytoma-historical">anaplastic astrocytoma</a>, <a href="/articles/gliomatosis-cerebri">gliomatosis cerebri</a>, <a href="/articles/fibrillary-astrocytoma-historical">fibrillary astrocytoma</a> and <a href="/articles/protoplasmic-astrocytoma-historical">protoplasmic astrocytoma</a>, <a href="/articles/gemistocytic-astrocytoma-historical">gemistocytic astrocytoma</a> are no longer recognised as distinct entities in the current <a href="/articles/who-classification-of-cns-tumours-1">WHO classification of CNS tumours</a>.</p>
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