Electron microscopic and enzyme histochemical investigations on craniopharyngiomas and their tissue cultures

Electron optical and enzyme histochemical investigations carried out on four craniopharyngiomas and their tissue cultures demonstrated that the tumour elements are keratinizing epithelial cells, plenty of tonofilaments, glycogen granules, mitochondria and desmosomes. Their ultrastructural and histochemical characteristics are the same in every part of the tumour (solid; cystic; “adamantinoma-like”). In the keratinizing cells, the reactions for non-specific esterases were high positive. The ultrastructural characteristics of the tumour cells grownin vitro are the same as thosein situ; the cells remain attached to one another by desmosomes and retain their capacity to produce keratine. This therefore seems to be a primary characteristic of the tumour cells and not a secondary dysmetabolic disturbance. Calcium was found onlyin situ. That the tumour cells may produce enamelin situ seems to be possible, but it could not be confirmed with certainty. The glial proliferation which is always presentin situ, is reactive and not neoplastic; thein vitro new built cell colonies consist only of epithelial elements.