Metastatic glioblastoma cells use common pathways via blood and lymphatic vessels

Neurol Neurochir Pol. 2009 Mar-Apr;43(2):183-90.

Abstract

Generally, gliomas do not metastasize. Therefore, larger series are not available to investigate the pathways of tumour spread. Here, we present the case of a young man with a glioblastoma multiforme WHO grade IV and distant metastases in several tissues. The glioblastoma multiforme WHO grade IV of a young male patient recurred within a very short time along the surgical resection pathway within the temporalis muscle. After removal of the tumour bulk, the patient developed a distant intracranial tumour lesion around the contralateral ventricular system and a pulmonary tumour. Later on, the patient underwent an operation on a facial lesion representing a local extracranial glioblastoma recurrence and containing metastases within lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels. Our case report indicated a lymphatic pathway of metastasis, which could be demonstrated by our histopathological analysis. We suggest that altered gene expression stimulated by glioblastoma-environment interaction altered the properties of glioblastoma cells, whether caused by a spontaneous genetic shift or induced by factors provided by the extracranial tissue.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain Neoplasms / complications
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Cerebral Hemorrhage / diagnosis
  • Cerebral Hemorrhage / etiology
  • Glioblastoma / complications
  • Glioblastoma / diagnosis
  • Glioblastoma / pathology*
  • Glioblastoma / secondary*
  • Humans
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Mandibular Neoplasms / pathology
  • Mandibular Neoplasms / secondary
  • Masseter Muscle / pathology