Histopathological examination of an excised vestibular schwannoma shows densely cellular areas composed of spindle cells whose nuclei palisade around acellular zones. Which finding is being described?
- A Whorled meningothelial whorls with psammoma bodies
- B Antoni B pattern with myxoid degeneration
- C Antoni A pattern with Verocay bodies ✓
- D Rosenthal fibres with biphasic piloid architecture
Explanation
Vestibular schwannomas show a biphasic pattern: Antoni C areas are compact spindle-cell regions where nuclei line up in palisades forming Verocay bodies, and Antoni B areas are loose, hypocellular and myxoid. The tumour is strongly S-100 positive, confirming Schwann cell origin. Psammomatous whorls indicate meningioma, and Rosenthal fibres with piloid architecture indicate pilocytic astrocytoma, both relevant CPA differentials but histologically distinct here.
Reference: Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed.
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