12-year-old boy with multiple brain masses.
The occurrence of more than one brain tumor in a single patient is not new, resulting from RT- or CT-induced neoplasms, syndromes or casual association. We report on the exceptional case of a 12-year-old boy harboring three different brain tumors with no definite correlation. The first MRI showed a medulloblastoma with signs of infratentorial and supratentorial tumor spreading, including a small frontal mass. Despite the good response to surgical and adjuvant treatment, the frontal mass remained unchanged and was excised, revealing a lipoastrocytoma. Finally, the possible local recurrence of the original medulloblastoma was a pilocytic astrocytoma with post-radiation alterations. Explanations of this very unusual association include radio-induced tumors, second tumors developing from remnants of medulloblastoma cancer stem cells, or the changing histology after adjuvant therapy.
Department of Bio-images and Radiological Sciences, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy.
Luca
L
Massimi
Massimo
M
Caldarelli
Quintino Giorgio
QG
D'Alessandris
Massimo
M
Rollo
Libero
L
Lauriola
Felice
F
Giangaspero
Concezio
C
Di Rocco
D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy