BEHAVIOR OF ACOUSTIC NEUROMA IN TISSUE CULTURE

A phase contrast and time-lapse cinematographic study of 50 acoustic nerve tumors cultured in Rose chambers and roller tubes, was made. In all cultures four main cell types were observed: 1. ameboid microglia-like cells; 2. slender spindle-shaped cells; 3. racketshaped cells, and 4. large kite-shaped cells. The spindle-shaped cells exhibited a rhythmic pulsatile activity and grouped themselves in a palisading fashion. The ameboid cells showed as fast writhing movement of their elongated, irregularly shaped cell body and a fast undulating movement of their membranous veil-like cytoplasmic extensions. These two cells were thought to be Schwann cells. The racket-shaped cells slowly but constantly changed shape. The origin of this cell was not determined. The kite-shaped cells were though to be fibroblasts. Although every culture showed all four cell types, one of them usually predominated over the other; in general however the fibroblastic cells tended to predominate in long-term cultures. No transformation of one cell type into the other was observed. A comparison between the types of cells grown in vitro from acoustic tumors and from normal peripheral nerve was made. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.