title: Aggressive treatment with complete remission in primary diffuse leptomeningeal gliomatosis--a case report.
abstract: Primary leptomeningeal gliomatosis is rare, and the diffuse form (PLDG) is even more unusual. The following report is an example. A 17 year-old man developed a syndrome characterized by extensive basal and chronic spinal meningitis. Routine biological tests showed elevated levels of CSF proteins, and moderate mononuclear pleocytosis, with no direct evidence of neoplasia, leading to a diagnosis of chronic meningitis. A second meningeal biopsy, guided by MRI and performed in the left frontal region, led to the specific diagnosis of primary diffuse leptomeningeal gliomatosis. Treatment including ventricular and lumbar shunting, a course of cortico-spinal radiation, and three courses of an eight-drug systemic chemotherapy with intrathecal methotrexate lead to complete remission over 15 months. We believe that this is the first report of such a remission in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurochirurgie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Saint-Etienne, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beauchesne
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pialat
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Duthel
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Barral
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Clavreul
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laurent
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D008727:Methotrexate