Concentric Lamination of Glial Processes in Oligodendrogliomas

Tissues were obtained by open biopsy of a series of human intracranial neoplasms, fixed in Veronal-buffered osmium tetroxide, and embedded in Vestopal-W. In two instances in which specimens were obtained from oligodendrogliomas in regions where the tumor had infiltrated but not entirely destroyed cortical tissues, glial processes were found to be arranged in a highly organized laminar fashion. This feature was not observed in two additional oligodendrogliomas nor in other types of intracerebral neoplasms. Three types of laminar structures were recognized: (a) perikaryal sheaths composed of several layers of overlapping or concentrically orientated glial processes, (b) layers of longitudinally orientated glial processes along the outer aspect of myelinated axons, and (c) small laminated figures composed of several concentrically disposed glial processes. Spirally constituted lamellar systems were not demonstrated. These findings indicate that under certain circumstances glial cells have the capacity to form sheaths and sheath-like structures by concentric lamination of several processes, rather than by spiraling of a single process.