Radiation induced glioblastoma. A case report

We report a surgical case of a 54-year-old woman with a radiation induced glioblastoma. At the age of 34, the patient was diagnosed to have a non-functioning pituitary adenoma. It was partially removed followed by 50 Gy focal irradiation with a 5 x 5 cm lateral opposed field. Twenty years later, she suffered from rapidly increasing symptoms such as aphasia and right hemiparesis. MRI showed a large mass lesion in the left temporal lobe as well as small mass lesions in the brain stem and the right medial temporal lobe. These lesions situated within the irradiated field. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed relatively high lactate signal and decreased N-acetyl aspartate, choline, creatine and phosphocreatine signals. Increased lactate signal meant anaerobic metabolism that suggested the existence of a rapidly growing malignant tumor. Thus, we planned surgical removal of the left temporal lesion with the diagnosis of a radiation induced malignant glioma. The histological examination revealed a glioblastoma with radiation necrosis. MIB-1 staining index was 65%. Postoperatively, her symptoms improved, but she died from pneumonia 1 month after the surgery. A autopsy was obtained. The lesion of the left temporal lobe was found to have continuity to the lesion in the midbrain, the pons and the right temporal lobe as well. High MIB-1 staining index suggested that a radiation induced glioblastoma had high proliferative potential comparing with a de novo and secondary glioblastoma. (author)