title: Cerebral anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma with meningeal dissemination at first presentation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare brain glial tumour found in young patients. Most cases are reported as evolving low-grade neoplasms associated with a long survival after complete surgical resection. Some PXAs, however, can demonstrate secondary malignant transformation or progress with a short survival. Anaplastic histological features at first presentation or secondary meningeal dissemination have rarely been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe the case of a cerebral PXA in a 7-year-old girl presenting with anaplastic histological features and craniospinal meningeal dissemination that progressed rapidly with a poor outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Alphonse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lubansu
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rorive
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sariban
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seligmann
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brotchi
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pirotte
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods