title: [Gliomatosis cerebri: a biopsy and autopsy case report].
abstract: Gliomatosis cerebri is a rare glial neoplasm, characterized by diffuse brain infiltration with relative preservation of the underlying cytoarchitecture. Its clinical and radiologic features are not specific and its antemortem diagnosis is difficult. We report a case of gliomatosis cerebri in a 68-year-old woman presenting with gait disturbances and episodic seizures. MRI showed bilateral white matter hypersignal intensities on Flair sequences and brain biopsy revealed a poorly cellular proliferation of neoplasic glial cells strongly expressing OLIG-2, Ki-67 and occasionally GFAP, without alpha-internexin expression. The patient status worsened rapidly and she died 2 months after the initial symptoms. Postmortem brain examination confirmed gliomatosis cerebri and revealed a focal glioblastoma in the frontal cortex, with nuclear p53 expression in the highest malignant areas. Gliomatosis cerebri should be included in the differential diagnostic of diffuse brain lesions. Antemortem diagnosis, although difficult, can be assessed by IRM and careful biopsy examination. Progression to glioblastoma has been seldom reported, enhancing the controversy about the etiopathogenesis of this rare tumour.
authors.affiliation: Service d'anatomie et de cytologie pathologiques, hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, université Paris 7, 2 rue Ambroise-Paré, Paris cedex 10, France.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: San Millan
authors.forename: Rachid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaci
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polivka
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Héran
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gueguen
authors.forename: Karima
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mokhtari
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D001706:Biopsy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018302:Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial / Q000473:pathology*