Losses of chromosomes 1p and 19q are rare in pediatric oligodendrogliomas

Pediatric oligodendrogliomas are rare neoplasms and have not been characterized extensively either pathologically or genetically. Given the recent interest in the significance of chromosomal losses in predicting the clinical course and in establishing uniform diagnoses of adult oligodendrogliomas, we reviewed the pathological and clinical features of a series of pediatric oligodendrogliomas and determined their 1p and 19q status using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Of 19 tumors originally diagnosed as oligodendroglioma, 7 were oligodendroglioma, 3 were anaplastic oligodendroglioma, 3 were oligoastrocytoma, and 6 were reclassified. Only one tumor, an anaplastic oligodendroglioma, had 1p loss; none had 19q loss. The single patient whose tumor had 1p loss did not have a particularly favorable clinical course. These results suggest that pediatric oligodendrogliomas arise by molecular alterations distinct from adult oligodendrogliomas, and such molecular alterations do not hold immediate promise as an adjunct to the diagnosis of pediatric oligodendrogliomas.