Biomaterial Database

Meningioma and intracranial hemangiopericytoma. A comparative electron microscopic study. 1977

C E Peña

Electron microscopic study of 2 intracranial hemangiopericytomas and 7 meningiomas revealed fundamental morphologic differences between the 2 neoplasms. The most significant finding in hemangiopericytoma was the presence of ultrastructure features suggesting leiomyoblastic differentiation. These included characteristic fusiform intracytoplasmic and submembranous dense bodies, abundant cytoplasmic filaments, elongated cells with blunt-ended nuclei and juxtanuclear polarization of organelles. This observation is considered highly significant as an indicator of the pericytic nature of this tumor. In addition, hemangiopericytoma cells sometimes were arranged in spirals around pools of basement membrane-like material, perhaps a manifestation of the biologic capability of the cells to synthetize such material. Meningioma cells displayed as their main feature an ability to produce surface membrane specializations including interdigitations, desmosomes, zonulae adhaerentes and gap functions. Sometimes the last 3 elements were linearly juxtaposed forming junctional complexes similar to those seen in certain epithelia. It is suggested that the characteristic whorls of meningioma are the result of cell interconnections arising from the specialized junctional attachments. Thus the distinctive morphology of the 2 neoplasms appears to derive from basic biologic properties of their elements.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007365	Intercellular Junctions	Direct contact of a cell with a neighboring cell. Most such junctions are too small to be resolved by light microscopy, but they can be visualized by conventional or freeze-fracture electron microscopy, both of which show that the interacting CELL MEMBRANE and often the underlying CYTOPLASM and the intervening EXTRACELLULAR SPACE are highly specialized in these regions. (From Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2d ed, p792)	Cell Junctions,Cell Junction,Intercellular Junction,Junction, Cell,Junction, Intercellular,Junctions, Cell,Junctions, Intercellular
D008579	Meningioma	A relatively common neoplasm of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that arises from arachnoidal cells. The majority are well differentiated vascular tumors which grow slowly and have a low potential to be invasive, although malignant subtypes occur. Meningiomas have a predilection to arise from the parasagittal region, cerebral convexity, sphenoidal ridge, olfactory groove, and SPINAL CANAL. (From DeVita et al., Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology, 5th ed, pp2056-7)	Benign Meningioma,Malignant Meningioma,Meningiomas, Multiple,Meningiomatosis,Angioblastic Meningioma,Angiomatous Meningioma,Cerebral Convexity Meningioma,Clear Cell Meningioma,Fibrous Meningioma,Hemangioblastic Meningioma,Hemangiopericytic Meningioma,Intracranial Meningioma,Intraorbital Meningioma,Intraventricular Meningioma,Meningotheliomatous Meningioma,Microcystic Meningioma,Olfactory Groove Meningioma,Papillary Meningioma,Parasagittal Meningioma,Posterior Fossa Meningioma,Psammomatous Meningioma,Secretory Meningioma,Sphenoid Wing Meningioma,Spinal Meningioma,Transitional Meningioma,Xanthomatous Meningioma,Angioblastic Meningiomas,Angiomatous Meningiomas,Benign Meningiomas,Cerebral Convexity Meningiomas,Clear Cell Meningiomas,Convexity Meningioma, Cerebral,Convexity Meningiomas, Cerebral,Fibrous Meningiomas,Groove Meningiomas, Olfactory,Hemangioblastic Meningiomas,Hemangiopericytic Meningiomas,Intracranial Meningiomas,Intraorbital Meningiomas,Intraventricular Meningiomas,Malignant Meningiomas,Meningioma, Angioblastic,Meningioma, Angiomatous,Meningioma, Benign,Meningioma, Cerebral Convexity,Meningioma, Clear Cell,Meningioma, Fibrous,Meningioma, Hemangioblastic,Meningioma, Hemangiopericytic,Meningioma, Intracranial,Meningioma, Intraorbital,Meningioma, Intraventricular,Meningioma, Malignant,Meningioma, Meningotheliomatous,Meningioma, Microcystic,Meningioma, Multiple,Meningioma, Olfactory Groove,Meningioma, Papillary,Meningioma, Parasagittal,Meningioma, Posterior Fossa,Meningioma, Psammomatous,Meningioma, Secretory,Meningioma, Sphenoid Wing,Meningioma, Spinal,Meningioma, Transitional,Meningioma, Xanthomatous,Meningiomas,Meningiomas, Angioblastic,Meningiomas, Angiomatous,Meningiomas, Benign,Meningiomas, Cerebral Convexity,Meningiomas, Clear Cell,Meningiomas, Fibrous,Meningiomas, Hemangioblastic,Meningiomas, Hemangiopericytic,Meningiomas, Intracranial,Meningiomas, Intraorbital,Meningiomas, Intraventricular,Meningiomas, Malignant,Meningiomas, Meningotheliomatous,Meningiomas, Microcystic,Meningiomas, Olfactory Groove,Meningiomas, Papillary,Meningiomas, Parasagittal,Meningiomas, Posterior Fossa,Meningiomas, Psammomatous,Meningiomas, Secretory,Meningiomas, Sphenoid Wing,Meningiomas, Spinal,Meningiomas, Transitional,Meningiomas, Xanthomatous,Meningiomatoses,Meningotheliomatous Meningiomas,Microcystic Meningiomas,Multiple Meningioma,Multiple Meningiomas,Olfactory Groove Meningiomas,Papillary Meningiomas,Parasagittal Meningiomas,Posterior Fossa Meningiomas,Psammomatous Meningiomas,Secretory Meningiomas,Sphenoid Wing Meningiomas,Spinal Meningiomas,Transitional Meningiomas,Wing Meningioma, Sphenoid,Wing Meningiomas, Sphenoid,Xanthomatous Meningiomas
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D002454	Cell Differentiation	Progressive restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of function that leads to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs.	Differentiation, Cell,Cell Differentiations,Differentiations, Cell
D003896	Desmosomes	A type of junction that attaches one cell to its neighbor. One of a number of differentiated regions which occur, for example, where the cytoplasmic membranes of adjacent epithelial cells are closely apposed. It consists of a circular region of each membrane together with associated intracellular microfilaments and an intercellular material which may include, for example, mucopolysaccharides. (From Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990; Singleton & Sainsbury, Dictionary of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, 2d ed)	Desmosome
D006393	Hemangiopericytoma	A tumor composed of spindle cells with a rich vascular network, which apparently arises from pericytes, cells of smooth muscle origin that lie around small vessels. Benign and malignant hemangiopericytomas exist, and the rarity of these lesions has led to considerable confusion in distinguishing between benign and malignant variants. (From Dorland, 27th ed; DeVita Jr et al., Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology, 3d ed, p1364)	Hemangiopericytomas
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001485	Basement Membrane	A darkly stained mat-like EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX (ECM) that separates cell layers, such as EPITHELIUM from ENDOTHELIUM or a layer of CONNECTIVE TISSUE. The ECM layer that supports an overlying EPITHELIUM or ENDOTHELIUM is called basal lamina. Basement membrane (BM) can be formed by the fusion of either two adjacent basal laminae or a basal lamina with an adjacent reticular lamina of connective tissue. BM, composed mainly of TYPE IV COLLAGEN; glycoprotein LAMININ; and PROTEOGLYCAN, provides barriers as well as channels between interacting cell layers.	Basal Lamina,Basement Lamina,Lamina Densa,Lamina Lucida,Lamina Reticularis,Basement Membranes,Densas, Lamina,Lamina, Basal,Lamina, Basement,Lucida, Lamina,Membrane, Basement,Membranes, Basement,Reticularis, Lamina
D012886	Skull	The SKELETON of the HEAD including the FACIAL BONES and the bones enclosing the BRAIN.	Calvaria,Cranium,Calvarium,Skulls