Oligodendroglioma

Oligodendrogliomas are a type of brain tumours that are believed to originate from the oligodenrocytes of the brain or from a glial precursor cell. Similar to other gliomas, they can be divided into a low-grade and an anaplastic variant.

Please note that the following threads of our forum are currently only available in German language.

Aktuelles aus dem Oligodendrogliom Forum

Histology of Oligodendroglioma

• oligodendroglioma (WHO grade II)
• anaplastic oligodendroglioma (WHO grade III)

Epidemiology of Oligodendroglioma

• peak age between 35 and 50
• in childhood around 10
• men are a little more often affected

Symptoms of Oligodendroglioma

• mainly epileptic seizures as initial sign
• symptoms of cerebral pressure (headache, nausea, emesis)
• less frequently neurological deficits and organic psycho syndrome
• locally caused symptoms related to increased growth

Diagnosing Oligodendroglioma

• diagnosis with MRT and CT
• sometimes biopsy to confirm diagosis
• CT to detect frequently occuring calcifications
• heterogenous enhancement of contrast agent
• sometimes slight enhancement of contrast agent in WHO grade II
• diffusely infiltrating in surrounding tissue
• often hemorrhages
• main localisation: frontal- and temporal lobe of cerebrum

Therapy of Oligodendroglioma

• as complete as possible surgical removal of brain tumour
• radiotherapy after partial surgeries and anaplastic tumours
• chemotherapy in progressive and anaplastic tumours
• chemotherapy also discussed for grade II tumours

Therapy of Recurrent Oligodendroglioma

• renewed surgery of brain tumour
• (second) irradiation
• chemotherapy with different agents, e.g. PCV-scheme
• experimental therapeutic approaches

Aftercare of Oligodendroglioma

• first check-up 6 weeks after therapy (MRI with contrast agent)
• WHO grade II: check-up every three months, if results are constant every 6 to 12 months
• WHO grade III: every three months (MRI with contrast agent)

Course of Oligodendroglioma

• growth characteristic depends on WHO grade
• high rate of recurrence
• development from WHO grade II to WHO grade III possible

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