Histopathological Assessment of Cellular Heterogeneity in Pediatric Ependymomas.

Background/

Objectives

Ependymomas are central nervous system (CNS) tumors with marked biological and clinical heterogeneity, particularly in pediatric populations. While the 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) classification emphasizes molecular subgroups-posterior fossa type A (PFA) and B (PFB), supratentorial ZFTA fusion-positive (ST-ZFTA), and YAP1 fusion-positive (ST-YAP)- routine diagnosis is still based on histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Recent single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomic studies have revealed distinct tumor cell populations, including ependymal-like, astroglial-like, progenitor-like, and stress-associated states. However, a major unresolved issue is whether such heterogeneity can be appreciated and interpreted on conventional pathology slides.

Methods

This study examined ependymomas from the Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN), with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and IHC for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). Tumor regions were stratified into high-cellularity and low-cellularity regions, and staining patterns were correlated with known cellular features from the prior literature.

Results

Low-cellularity zones exhibit strong fibrillary GFAP, resembling astroglial or subependymal differentiation. In contrast, high-cellularity zones more often demonstrate variable EMA patterns and GFAP/EMA-negative compartments, consistent with undifferentiated progenitor-like populations. Perinecrotic areas showed increased GFAP and EMA, possibly reflecting stress-associated cellular states and mesenchymal differentiation. Comparisons between PFA and ST-ZFTA tumors revealed that ST-ZFTA ependymomas were significantly more likely to be hypercellular, with a higher frequency of diffuse EMA expression. In contrast, PFA tumors displayed broader variability with stronger GFAP perinuclear staining.

Conclusions

These findings support the concept that conventional histology can capture relevant heterogeneity and may complement molecular studies. The recognition of such features may help refine histopathological assessment and provide practical prognostic insights, particularly in resource-limited settings where molecular testing is not universally available.