A 14-year-old girl with multiple tumors

Brain Pathol. 2012 Nov;22(6):865-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2012.00639.x.

Abstract

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare astrocytic tumor that usually occurs in the superficial cerebral hemispheres of children and young adult and has a favorable prognosis. We report a case of a 14-year-old girl with a recent history of sciatica and ataxic gait. Pre- and post-contrast brain and spinal MRI revealed the presence of multiple solid lesions with a cystic component in the cerebellum and the spinal cord with a concomitant massive leptomeningeal involvement Histological and immunohistochemical findings were concordant with a final diagnosis of WHO grade II PXA. Even the biological indolent PXAs' behavior, this is the third report in the literature of such an unusual multicentric PXA with leptomeningeal dissemination.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Astrocytoma / pathology*
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Meningeal Carcinomatosis / pathology*