Late-onset malignant astrocytoma in a case of multiple sclerosis. Clinical, neuropathological, virological, and tissue culture studies.
An unusual case of concurrent MS and anaplastic astrocytoma is presented. MS was diagnosed in a female patient at the age of 22 years. A left side thalamotomy was performed for relief of severe intention tremor at age 28 and at age 32 she received immunosuppressive therapy for 1 year. At the age of 36 after a severe exacerbation of her symptoms a left side fronto-temporal tumor was diagnosed and a subtotal neurosurgical extirpation was performed. Histopathologically, the tumor was an anaplastic astrocytoma, which was further substantiated by electron microscopy and establishment of a permanent cell line in vitro. The cultured tumor cells were negative for measles virus by immunofluorescence. The relationship between the reactive astrocytes in MS plaques and astrocytic neoplasia is discussed.
D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology