A 45-year-old woman presents with progressive unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. MRI reveals a well-circumscribed, enhancing cerebellopontine angle mass extending into the internal auditory canal. Gross resection is performed. Which histopathological pattern is characteristic of this tumor?

• A Pseudopalisading necrosis with microvascular proliferation
• B Perivascular pseudorosettes with ependymoblasts
• C Verocay bodies with alternating Antoni A and Antoni B areas ✓
• D Whorling meningothelial cells with psammoma bodies

Explanation

This is a schwannoma (acoustic neuroma), the most common cerebellopontine angle tumor. Histology classically shows biphasic Antoni A (compact, palisading) and Antoni C (loose, myxoid) areas with Verocay bodies (nuclear palisading between fibrillary rows). Option A describes glioblastoma. Option B describes ependymoma. Option D describes meningioma, which can occur at the CP angle but usually does not extend into the internal auditory canal.

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.