A 40-year-old woman presents with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. MRI shows a cerebellopontine angle mass extending into the internal auditory canal. Histology shows alternating hypercellular and hypocellular areas with nuclear palisading. What are the hypocellular, myxoid areas called?
- A Antoni A areas
- B Antoni B areas ✓
- C Verocay bodies
- D Psammoma bodies
Correct answer: B. Antoni B areas
Explanation
The cerebellopontine angle mass is a schwannoma. It characteristically shows Antoni A areas, which are hypercellular with palisading nuclei forming Verocay bodies, and Antoni B areas, which are hypocellular and loosely arranged in a myxoid stroma. Psammoma bodies are seen in meningiomas.
Reference: Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.