title: Fatal pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma with meningeal gliomatosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the previously undescribed phenomenon of extensive meningeal gliomatosis in a pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) and to examine possible prognostic features.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 11-year-old girl underwent excision of a left temporoparietal pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma and 8 months later underwent re-excision of a local tumour recurrence. Although mitoses were not present in any of the resection specimens, the development of necrosis and increased immunoreactivity for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) indicated anaplastic transformation in the recurrent tumour. Three months later extensive meningeal gliomatosis with minimal local recurrence resulted in death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subarachnoid dissemination of a locally recurrent PXA in the absence of mitotic activity is an extremely unusual occurrence. PCNA expression in the initial excision specimens did not predict subsequent anaplastic transformation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Alcutt
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Farrell
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*