Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) infrequently recurs in the infratentorial region. Such Infratentorial recurrence (ITR) has some clinically unique characteristics, such as presenting unspecific symptoms and providing patients a chance to receive additional radiotherapy. However, the clinical significances of ITR are not well studied.
Methods: We reviewed newly diagnosed isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype GBM patients treated at our institution between October 2008 and December 2018. ITR was defined as any type of recurrence in GBM, including dissemination or distant recurrence, which primarily developed in the supratentorial region and recurred in the infratentorial region.
Results: Of 134 patients with newly diagnosed IDH-wildtype GBM, six (4.5%) were classified as having ITR. There was no significant difference in median duration from the first surgery to ITR development between patients with and without ITR (12.2 vs. 10.2 months, P = 0.65). The primary symptoms of ITR were gait disturbance (100%, n = 6), dizziness (50.0%, n = 3), nausea (33.3%, n = 2), and cerebellar mutism (16.7%, n = 1). In four cases (66.7%), symptoms were presented before ITR development. All patients received additional treatments for ITR. The median post-recurrence survival (PRS) of ITR patients was significantly shorter than that of general GBM patients (5.5 vs. 9.1 months, P = 0.023). However, chemoradiotherapy contributed to palliating symptoms such as nausea.
Conclusions: ITR is a severe recurrence type in GBM patients. Its symptoms are neurologically unspecific and can be overlooked or misdiagnosed as side effects of treatments. Carefully checking the infratentorial region, especially around the fourth ventricle, is essential during the GBM patient follow-up.
Keywords: Glioblastoma; Infratentorial; Recurrence.
© 2023. The Author(s).