title: Metastatic fibrosarcoma of the brain: transformation from conventional to epithelioid form--case report.
abstract: A 45-year-old woman presented with an extremely rare metastatic fibrosarcoma of the brain manifesting as persistent headache. She had undergone surgery for a fibrosarcoma of the soft tissue of the thigh 2 months earlier. She had a history of previous surgery and radiotherapy for this tumor. She was somnolent with papilledema and left hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a right frontal lesion with mass effect and heterogeneous enhancement. Computed tomography and scintigraphy showed multiple metastatic lesions of the lung. Right frontal craniotomy was performed for gross total removal of the yellowish-white tumor. Histological examination showed signs of epithelioid transformation based on positive staining for epithelial membrane antigen compared to the primary tumor. Postoperatively the patient was alert and the left hemiparesis improved. She refused radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Follow-up computed tomography showed multiple intracranial metastases. She died 5 months after the surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Inönü University School of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey. rerguvan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Rezzan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Erguvan-Onal
authors.forename: Cagatay
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Onal
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gürlek
authors.forename: Alpay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.forename: Haldun Sükrü
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Erkal
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mizrak
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed