Pathological Features of Diffuse Astrocytoma and its differential Diagnosis(<SPECIAL ISSUE>Treatment of Diffuse Astrocytoma Grade 2)

Diffuse astrocytoma (DA) is the most common tumor among the low grade gliomas. This tumor grows slowly and intensely infiltrates into adjacent brain, typically resulting in unsuccessful therapeutic outcomes. Of the three subtypes, fibrillary astrocytoma has the highest incidence. It is clinically essential to differentiate DA from pilocytic astrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, oligoastrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. This is accomplished through a thorough and comprehensive study of the clinical, radiographical, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings. Recent evidence indicates a spectrum spreading from DA to oligodendroglioma via oligoastrocytoma, and suggests the presence of common progenitor cells shared between them. Finally, DA borders are not obvious in terms of a pathological point of view.