Extracranial metastases of glioblastoma in a child: case report and review of the literature.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common adult malignant brain tumor but is notably less common in children. Primary brain tumors rarely metastasize outside the central nervous system and when metastases occur, it is often in patients with diversionary shunting of the cerebrospinal fluid. This report details the case of a 13(1/2)-year-old boy who was diagnosed with GBM. He survived 10 months after diagnosis. At autopsy, the tumor was found to extensively infiltrate the leptomeninges as well as the cranial skin and soft tissue. Further examination disclosed multiple liver and lung metastatic GBM nodules. This pattern of spread is very uncharacteristic of gliomas and emphasizes the importance of adequate metastatic evaluation.
Saad
Ali G
AG
Department of Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA. asaad@partners.org
Sachs
Jessica
J
Turner
Christopher D
CD
Proctor
Mark
M
Marcus
Karen J
KJ
Wang
Larry
L
Lidov
Hart
H
Ullrich
Nicole J
NJ
D000293:Adolescent; D001344:Autopsy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed