title: Extracranial metastases of a glioblastoma multiforme to the pleura, small bowel and pancreas.
abstract: Extracranial metastases of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are rare and usually occur in the context of recurrent intracranial GBM. We present a 39-year-old man with histologically confirmed GBM. The patient remained well for nearly 2 years, with no signs of recurrent tumour. He then presented with distant recurrence within the brain at the same time as developing pneumonia and epigastric pain. A computed tomography scan of the patient's abdomen and chest showed several intra-abdominal masses, including one in the head of the pancreas as well as a separate mass at the base of the left lung. A computed tomography-guided biopsy of the pancreatic mass demonstrated histological appearances identical to those of the original GBM. This unusual case raises the possibility of a link between prolonged survival with GBM and the occurrence of extracranial disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, P.O. Box 315, Prahran, 3181, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. amujic@bigpond.net.au
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mujic
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hunn
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lowenthal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase