Astrocytoma grade 3

What it is

A rare, high-grade, malignant glial tumor, histologically characterized by abundance of pleomorphic astrocytes and multiple mitotic figures, often associated with diffuse infiltration of the surrounding tissue, considerable edema and mass effect and involvement of the contralateral brain. Depending on the primary localization of the tumor, patients can present with signs of raised intracranial pressure (headache, vomiting, papilledema), seizures, progressive neurological deficits, and/or behavioral changes. The tumor is most commonly localized in the frontal and temporal lobes, brain stem and spinal cord.

Key facts

Prevalence

1-9 / 1 000 000 (annual incidence, United States)

Age of onset

Adult

Inheritance

Not applicable

Classified as

Disease

Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.

Gene

ICD-10 codes

ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.

Related health topics

Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.

Cross-references