Peculiar meningeal tumour in a 4-months old baby: malignant fibrous histiocytoma?

The histological examination of a meningioma-like tumour operatively removed from the left frontoparetial region of a 4-months-old baby, disclosed a high-cellular malignant neoplasia built up by streams of elongated spindle-shaped cells, and with a predominant storiform-pattern as usually seen in malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH). Immunohistochemical reactions for alfa-I-ACT and Lys were negative; tumor cells expressed vimentin. Electronmicroscopy disclosed fibroblast-like cells. This tumour was compared with a recurring malignant fibroblastic meningioma characterised, in the recurrence, by storiform areas. In this second tumour, alfa-I-ACT was highly positive. Questions concerning the occurrence of primary cerebral MFHs are discussed. The immunohistochemical findings in-the tumours of the present investigation underline the not-specificity of so-called histiocytic markers.