Is there a difference between oligodendroma and oligodendroglioma?

No there is no difference between the two. However, there are different types of oligodendrogliomas. This type of brain tumor occurs in approximately 9 out of every 1,000,000 people. This is about the rarest type of brain tumor. The brain is made up of many supporting cells that are called glial cells. Any tumor of these glial cells is called a glioma. Oligodendrogliomas are tumors that arise from a type of glial cell called oligodendrocytes. These cells are the specialized cells of the brain that produce the fatty covering of nerve cells. As mentioned above, there are two types of oligodendroglioma: the well-differentiated tumor, which grows relatively slowly and in a defined shape; and the anaplastic oligodendroglioma, which grows much more rapidly and does not have a well-defined shape. Anaplastic oligodendrogliomas are much less common than well-differentiated oligodendrogliomas.

So basically, if it is suspected that you or someone close to you has an oligodendroglioma, hope that it is a well-differentiated tumor. The prognosis and outcome are much brighter.

My husband was diagnosed with a well-differentiated oligo in August of 2009. He underwent a craniatomy and awake open brain mapping at MD Anderson. 100% of the tumor was resected. He has had 5 MRIs since then and they have all come back GOOD! However, a warning, the recurrence rate for either type of oligo if pretty high. Good luck. Hope this helps.