Extracranial metastases of epithelioid glioblastoma

Abstract

A 68-year-old man was admitted with disturbance of consciousness. Computed tomography (CT) scanning revealed subcortical hemorrhage in the right temporal lobe. Endoscopic hematoma evacuation was performed. Three months later, contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass with ring-like enhancement in the right temporal lobe. The patient underwent surgery, and the histological diagnosis was epithelioid glioblastoma. Focal irradiation and chemotherapy were performed. Fourteen days after the start of chemoradiotherapy, a CT scan of the chest revealed multiple round nodules and masses of varying size in both lungs, and small bilateral pleural effusions. The patient died of acute respiratory failure 32 days after the start of chemoradiotherapy. Autopsy revealed metastases in the lungs and heart. Although the relevant published literature is limited, extracranial metastasis of glioblastoma appears to be very rare and is associated with poor outcomes. The role of prognostic staging and optimal treatment selection should be investigated.