Gliomatosis cerebri presenting as rapidly progressive dementia and parkinsonism in an elderly woman: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Dementia is one of the most important neurological disorders in the elderly. Dementia of tumoral origin is rare and parkinsonism of neoplastic origin is unusual. We herein report a case of gliomatosis cerebri, a very rare brain tumor seldom affecting the elderly, which presented as rapidly progressive dementia and parkinsonism.


METHODS
An 82-year-old woman very rapidly developed progressive dementia and akineto-rigid parkinsonism. Brain CT scan was normal. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium injection highlighted a diffuse tumor-related infiltration involving both lobes, the putamen, the pallidum, the substantia nigra, and the brainstem, corresponding to the specific description and definition of gliomatosis cerebri.


CONCLUSIONS
This atypical presentation of a gliomatosis cerebri, and the infiltration of the substantia nigra by the tumor, merits attention.
Duron
Emmanuelle
E
Department of Geriatrics, University René Descartes, Broca Hospital, AP-HP, France. emmanuelle.duron@brc.aphp.fr
Lazareth
Anne
A
Gaubert
Jean-Yves
JY
Raso
Carole
C
Hanon
Olivier
O
Rigaud
Anne-Sophie
AS