title: Primary diffuse leptomeningeal gliosarcomatosis.
abstract: We report a 48-year-old woman with primary diffuse leptomeningeal gliomatosis (PDLG) histologically diagnosed as gliosarcoma. She was admitted complaining of headache, numbness of the right arm, double vision, and visual field defects. Computerized tomography (CT) scans showed ventricular dilatation consistent with communicating hydrocephalus. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed diffuse meningeal thickening and gadolinium enhancement without a definite intraparenchymal lesion. Whole-spine MRI demonstrated across-the-board dural thickening and gadolinium enhancement. Cytological examination showed atypical anaplastic cells. As no diagnosis could be made she underwent biopsy of the leptomeninges. Histological examination of the specimen returned a diagnosis of gliosarcoma. Despite chemotherapy and radiotherapy she died 11 months after admission. Autopsy findings included gliosarcoma in the leptomeninges and spinal cord without an underlying parenchymal tumor. To our knowledge, this is the first report of primary diffuse leptomeningeal gliosarcomatosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and Institute for Clinical Research, National Hospital Organization, Kure medical center, 3-1 Aoyama, Kure City, Hiroshima, Japan. watanabey@kure-nh.go.jp
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Takuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itou
authors.forename: Kiyomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniyama
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D018316:Gliosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D018302:Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy