Glioblastoma with Rhabdoid Features: Report of Two Young Adult Cases and Review of the Literature

World Neurosurg. 2016 Feb:86:515.e1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2015.10.065. Epub 2015 Nov 5.

Abstract

Background: There are few previous reports of glioblastoma in young adults, in particular, of the very rare recently proposed rhabdoid or epithelioid types.

Case description: We report 2 cases of glioblastoma with rhabdoid features involving a 27-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man. In case 1, the patient presented with generalized seizures, and the initial magnetic resonance imaging showed a very small region of contrast in the left parahippocampal area. After 1 year, the mass suddenly increased in size. Treatment with multiple therapies was administered, but 5 months later, the patient died from multiple systemic metastases. In case 2, the patient presented with a chief complaint of headache for a few weeks. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a left parietal mass with calcification and meningeal dissemination. After undergoing surgical removal, his condition rapidly deteriorated until brain death occurred.

Conclusions: Glioblastoma with rhabdoid features may represent a specific pattern of clinical progression that emerges from histologic glioblastoma types.

Keywords: Composite extrarenal rhabdoid tumors; Epithelioid glioblastoma; Multiple systemic metastases; Rhabdoid glioblastoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Brain Neoplasms / surgery
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Glioblastoma / pathology*
  • Glioblastoma / surgery
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Rhabdoid Tumor / pathology*