Spinal cord pilocytic astrocytoma with cranial meningeal metastases

Intramedullary spinal cord tumors in pediatric patients presenting later with brain lesions: case series and systematic review of the literature

PURPOSE

Intramedullary spinal cord tumors are an uncommon pathology in adults and children. Most descriptive studies of intramedullary spinal cord tumors have not focused on a possible association with future brain lesions. To the best of our knowledge, few reports describe this potential relationship. This is one of the most extensive case series of secondary brain lesions of intramedullary spinal cord tumors in the pediatric population.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review was performed on pediatric patients (21 years old and younger) who underwent resection of an intramedullary spinal cord tumor at two tertiary care hospitals from 2001 to 2020. Patients previously treated or diagnosed with spinal cord tumor, and subsequent development of intracranial manifestation of the same or different tumor, were included. Data regarding epidemiology, surgical intervention, and clinical and follow-up course were gathered. Data analysis was performed according to a standardized clinical protocol with a literature review.

RESULT

More than 500 patients underwent intradural spinal tumor resection surgeries at participating hospitals from 2001 to 2020. After excluding adult patients (older than 21 years old) and those with extramedullary lesions, 103 pediatric patients were identified who underwent resection of an intramedullary spinal cord tumor. Four underwent resection of an intermedullary tumor and later in their follow-up course developed a secondary intracranial neoplasm. In every case, the secondary neoplasm had the same pathology as the intramedullary tumor. Three of the patients had tumors at the cervico-thoracic junction, and one patient had a high cervical tumor. These patients had a negative primary workup for any metastatic disease at the time of the presentation or diagnosis. Complete and near complete resection was performed in three patients and subtotal in one patient.

CONCLUSION

Secondary brain tumors disseminated after initial spinal cord tumor are extremely rare. This study aims to allow specialists to better understand these pathologies and treat these rare tumors with more certainty and better expectations of unusual associated lesions and conditions.

Hydrocephalus in primary intradural spinal cord tumors: a systematic review of the literature in the pediatric population

Hydrocephalus in children with primary intradural spinal cord tumors is exceedingly rare. Herewith, we performed a systematic literature review to address epidemiology, suggested pathophysiological mechanisms, prognostic factors, and treatment of such cases. We performed a systematic review with the best available evidence on cases of pediatric primary intradural tumors of the spinal cord presented with hydrocephalus. The patients were subjected to quantitative analysis on a basis of epidemiological features (age, sex, tumor type and location, clinical presentation, survival, dissemination). The possible pathophysiological theories are discussed in detail. Forty-four studies with a total of 121 patients were included in the study. Astrocytomas were the most frequent tumor (64.5%) type, while most tumors were located in cervical (31.4%) or cervicothoracic region (25.6%). About half of the cases concerned children under 6 years of age. The block of subarachnoid CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) pathways from disseminated tumor cells and the neoplastic inflammation caused by tumor elements advocated to be the major pathogenetic mechanisms. Surgical excision of the tumor and hydrocephalus treatment is usually performed. Primary intradural spinal cord tumors should be considered in children with communicative hydrocephalus of unknown etiology. Onset of hydrocephalus after tumor removal is related to higher mortality.

Primary spinal pilocytic astrocytoma: clinical study with long-term follow-up in 16 patients and a literature review

Primary pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) of the spine is extremely rare and most published case series only include only a few patients. We attempted to explore the clinical features, radiological findings, and treatment outcomes of patients with spinal PA. Sixteen spinal PA patients who were surgically treated in our hospital between April 2008 and June 2018 were included in this retrospective study. An integrative analysis was performed regarding spinal PA patients by extracting from published studies on PubMed. The 16 patients with spinal PA included eight male and eight female patients with a mean age of 29.1 years. Ten cases (62.5%) had masses located in the cervical segments, five (31.3%) had masses in the thoracic segments, and one (6.2%) had masses in the sacral canal. All the patients were treated surgically with 13 gross total resections (GTRs, 81.3%) and three subtotal resections (STRs). The mean follow-up period was 40.4 months. These tumors accounted for a recurrence rate of 37.5% (6 of 16 patients) and no death during the follow-up periods. The influencing factors of recurrence were mainly STR, gene mutation (NF-1 and H2-K27M), and the number of segments involved. The mean recurrence-free survival duration was 19 months. The imaging features of spinal PA are heterogeneous, and the definitive diagnosis requires pathological support. GTR is the standard therapy for spinal PAs, although patients with GTR are still likely to relapse. The regular spinal magnetic resonance imaging follow-ups are required regardless of the resection status. Reoperation is feasible for patients with recurrence.

Pseudoprogression successfully treated with bevacizumab in a child with spinal pilocytic astrocytoma

CLINICAL CASE

We report on a 7-year-old female with spinal pilocytic astrocytoma complicated by pseudoprogression 1 month after completion of radiation therapy. Although she was initially treated with high-dose steroids, her clinical symptoms did not completely resolve, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed extension of the lesions into the medulla oblongata. Treatment with bevacizumab was commenced, followed by rapid resolution of the clinical symptoms and improvements in the MRI findings.

CONCLUSION

This case highlights the efficacy and tolerability of bevacizumab for the treatment of pseudoprogression in children with spinal low-grade gliomas.

Recent Progress in the Pathology and Genetics of Pilocytic and Pilomyxoid Astrocytomas

Pilocytic and pilomyxoid astrocytomas are some of the most common gliomas in children and young adults. These gliomas are indolent neoplasms with long overall survival probability. The genetic characteristics of these neoplasms are well known, and our deepened understanding of their associated molecular alterations has led to the development of novel treatment strategies and approaches. Currently, we can account for some of the unusual behavior, such as oncogene-induced senescence, associated spontaneous regression, anaplastic transformation, and cerebrospinal dissemination, of these gliomas. Nevertheless, enigmatic issues continue to surround these chronic tumors. Here, we review the classical and uncommon clinical pathological and genetic features of these indolent gliomas.

Intramedullary Glioblastoma Multiforme of Spine with Intracranial Supratentorial Metastasis: Progressive Disease with a Multifocal Picture

Primary spinal glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is very uncommon while an intramedullary spinal GBM with intracranial metastasis is rarely heard of. A 23-year-old male presented with bilateral paraplegia associated with bowel and bladder incontinence. Craniospinal radiograph showed an intramedullary spinal mass lesion, for which he underwent laminectomy and histopathology revealed GBM. He received local radiotherapy (RT) with temozolomide (TMZ). While on adjuvant TMZ, he developed severe headache and recurrent episodes of vomiting. Brain and spine imaging showed intracranial mass lesions associated with expansion of the entire cord. Biopsy from the intracranial lesion was confirmed as GBM on immunohistopathology. He was treated with palliative RT to the brain and was put on metronomic TMZ; however, he succumbed to his illness. Review of literature reveals that our case may be the fourth such case in the world and probably the first case reported in India where the intracranial metastatic GBM again presented with a reverse spinal dissemination.

Expression of CD133 as a Putative Prognostic Biomarker to Predict Intracranial Dissemination of Primary Spinal Cord Astrocytoma

OBJECTIVE

Spinal cord astrocytoma with intracranial dissemination carries a poor prognosis. The mechanisms leading to dissemination remain to be elucidated. A stem cell marker, CD133, was reported to predict recurrence patterns in intracranial glioblastoma. We evaluated the significance of CD133 as a putative prognostic biomarker to predict intracranial dissemination in spinal cord astrocytoma.

METHODS

This study included 14 consecutive patients with primary spinal cord astrocytoma treated from 1998 to 2014. Six of the patients were women and the patients' ages ranged from 12 to 75 years. Seven and 6 patients underwent open biopsy and partial resection of the tumors, respectively. After confirmation of the histologic diagnoses, all patients were treated with postoperative radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of both. To identify factors predictive of intracranial dissemination, we analyzed their clinical data including Ki-67 labeling index, and CD133 expression.

RESULTS

Intracranial dissemination was observed in 6 of 14 patients. All 6 patients died during the follow-up period. Of the 8 patients without intracranial dissemination, 5 survived (P = 0.02). Median survival for the patients with intracranial dissemination was 22.7 months. CD133 expression was significantly higher in patients with intracranial dissemination (P = 0.04), whereas other variables did not indicate the dissemination.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of CD133 can be an efficient biomarker to predict intracranial dissemination in spinal cord astrocytoma. Recognition of high CD133 expression in surgical specimens and early detection of intracranial dissemination is important for the clinical management of spinal cord astrocytoma.

Suprasellar pilocytic astrocytoma in an adult with hemorrhage and leptomeningeal dissemination: case report and review of literature

Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is a low-grade tumor. It has an excellent prognosis after total resection. Leptomeningeal dissemination and hemorrhage are very rare to be associated with PA and lead to unfavorable prognosis. A 35-year-old man was diagnosed with a hemorrhagic suprasellar PA in 2006. Subsequent examination in 2007 revealed another large subdural hemorrhagic lesion in the sacral region, which proved to be PA by histopathologic assessment. Other leptomeningeal foci were discovered mainly at the craniocervical junction. The patient underwent subtotal resection and received chemotherapy with disease control for 7 years. Progression of the disseminated disease has recently occurred; however, the patient is still alive with stable disease after radiotherapy. The radiological features, management, and relevant literature are also presented. Our report heightens the awareness of PA in the adult population and the importance of close surveillance for the leptomeningeal spread, especially for sellar region tumors.

Cranial Pilocytic Astrocytoma With Spinal Drop Metastasis in an Adult: Case Report and Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is a benign neoplasm that typically occurs in the brain within the pediatric and adolescent age groups and is uncommon in adults. It rarely occurs within the ventricles, and the overall prognosis is favorable. A PA of the brain with spinal metastasis at presentation has never been reported in an adult.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We report a case of a 47-year-old man presenting with sudden-onset frontal headache associated with nausea and lethargy in addition to a background of a longer history of back pain and headache. Radiologic imaging revealed an acute intraparenchymal hemorrhage in the right parieto-occipital lobes with intraventricular extension within a peripherally enhancing heterogeneous lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine revealed a sacral intradural tumor. The patient underwent surgical resection of the intracranial mass followed by debulking of the spinal lesion. Histopathologic study revealed that both the cranial and spinal tumors were PA.

CONCLUSIONS

This case illustrates a unique instance of hemorrhage into a cerebral PA with a spinal metastasis. To our knowledge, this is the first such case reported in an adult. We review the literature on the subject.

Pilocytic astrocytoma with leptomeningeal dissemination

PURPOSE

Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is a common pediatric glioma that is generally characterized by indolent growth. However, there are reports of PA disseminating throughout the central nervous system. Given the rarity of dissemination, the appropriate treatment for these patients is poorly defined. In this case series, we describe the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of six children treated for disseminated PA at our institution and review the current published literature.

METHODS

Six cases of disseminated PA treated at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center were identified. Demographics, disease characteristics, and follow-up data were compiled. Fifty-three reported cases were identified in the published literature.

RESULTS

Our cohort's mean age at presentation was 7 years, and the mean time to identification of disseminated disease was 12 months after initial diagnosis. Two patients underwent chemotherapy, and all underwent proton beam radiation therapy to all or part of the craniospinal axis. With a median follow-up of 24 months after radiation therapy, five of six patients were alive, four with stable disease and one with progressive disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of disseminated PA is frequently multi-modal, including surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. On the basis of early clinical data, extended-field radiation therapy is a viable option for treating disseminated PA.

Radiation-induced spinal cord glioblastoma with cerebrospinal fluid dissemination subsequent to treatment of lymphoblastic lymphoma

Background:

Radiation-induced glioma arising in the spinal cord is extremely rare. We report a case of radiation-induced spinal cord glioblastoma with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dissemination 10 years after radiotherapy for T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Case Description:

A 32-year-old male with a history of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma presented with progressive gait disturbance and sensory disturbance below the T4 dermatome 10 years after mediastinal irradiation. Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed an intramedullary tumor extending from the C6 to the T6 level, corresponding to the previous radiation site, and periventricular enhanced lesions. In this case, the spinal lesion was not directly diagnosed because the patient refused any kind of spinal surgery to avoid worsening of neurological deficits. However, based on a biopsy of an intracranial disseminated lesion and repeated immmunocytochemical examination of CSF cytology, we diagnosed the spinal tumor as a radiation-induced glioblastoma. The patient was treated with radiotherapy plus concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide. Then, the spinal tumor was markedly reduced in size, and the dissemination disappeared.

Conclusion:

We describe our detailed diagnostic process and emphasize the diagnostic importance of immunocytochemical analysis of CSF cytology.

Mortality is higher in patients with leptomeningeal metastasis in spinal cord tumors

Spinal cord tumors are a rare neoplasm of the central nervous system (CNS). The occurrence of metastases is related to poor prognosis. The authors analyzed one series of metastasis cases and their associated mortality.

METHODS

Clinical characteristics were studied in six patients with intramedullary tumors with metastases in a series of 71 surgical cases.

RESULTS

Five patients had ependymomas of which two were WHO grade III. The patient with astrocytoma had a grade II histopathological classification. Two patients required shunts for hydrocephalus. The survival curve showed a higher mortality than the general group of patients with no metastases in the CNS (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Mortality is elevated in patients with metastasis and greater than in patients with only primary lesions. The ependymomas, regardless of their degree of anaplasia, are more likely to cause metastasis than spinal cord astrocytomas.

Intracranial metastasis of spinal intramedullary anaplastic astrocytoma

Meningeal spread of spinal intramedullary astrocytoma into the cranium is rare. Only few case reports are available so far in the literature. We report a case of intramedullary high grade astrocytoma of the conus, developing intracranial metastasis after three months of partial excision of the spinal mass. The need for radical surgery, entire neuroaxis radiation, and adjuvant chemotherapy is suggested in the management of malignant spinal cord astrocytoma to prevent dissemination.

Spinal low-grade neoplasm with leptomeningeal dissemination mimicking tuberculous meningitis in a child

Spinal seeding of primary malignant intracranial tumors via CSF is common. However, this is rare in low-grade glial tumors. Cranial leptomeningeal metastasis of primary spinal cord low-grade gliomas at diagnosis or relapse is extremely rare. Leptomeningeal metastasis of spinal cord low-grade tumors may mimic tuberculous meningitis in children. A patient with primary spinal cord low-grade neoplasm mimicked tuberculous meningitis is presented. The patient successfully treated with chemoradiotherapy. At the end of 19-month follow-up, diffuse leptomeningeal infiltration and a dural mass compatible with relapse developed. Chemoradiotherapy was started.

High-grade intramedullary astrocytomas: 30 years' experience at the Neurosurgery Department of the University of Rome "Sapienza"

OBJECT

The goal in this study was to review a series of patients who underwent surgical removal of intramedullary high-grade gliomas, focusing on the functional outcome, recurrence rates, and technical problems continually debated in neurosurgical practice.

METHODS

Between December 1976 and December 2006, 22 patients underwent removal of intramedullary high-grade gliomas. Lesions were located in the cervical spinal cord in 12 patients, and in the thoracic cord in 10.

RESULTS

Histological examinations showed 10 Grade III astrocytomas and 12 glioblastomas. Only 2 of the 22 high-grade astrocytomas could be completely removed. The clinical postoperative status worsened in 14 patients (63.6%), was unchanged in 7 patients (31.8%), and there was 1 case of intraoperative death (4.5%). None of the 22 patients showed improvement in their neurological status postoperatively. In this series, excluding the 1 intraoperative death, all patients died of progression of the malignancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical treatment did not ameliorate the postoperative neurological status; instead, in the majority of cases, it prompted a worsening of the deficit. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy have a little influence on the length of survival. In this series, multimodality treatment of intramedullary high-grade astrocytomas has been shown to increase length of survival without improving the neurological status.

Intracranial Metastases of Cervical Intramedullary Low-Grade Astrocytoma without Malignant Transformation in Adult

The first case of intracranial metastases of a cervical intramedullary low-grade astrocytoma without malignant transformation in adult is presented in this report. Seven years ago, a 45 year-old male patient underwent biopsy to confirm pathologic characteristics and received craniocervical radiation and chemotherapy for a grade II astrocytoma in the cervical spinal cord. Two years later, posterior fusion was necessary for progressive kyphosis in the cervical spine. He was well for approximately 7 years after the primary surgery. Two months ago, he presented with partial weakness and incoordination with gait difficulty. MRI Scan demonstrated multiple small lesions in the cerebellar vermis and left hemisphere. After suboccipital craniectomy and posterior cervical exposure, the small masses in the cerebellar vermis and hemispheres were excised to a large extent by guidance of an intraoperative navigation system. The tumor at the cervical and brain lesions was classified as an astrocytoma (WHO grade II). When a patient with low-grade astrocytoma in the spinal cord has new cranial symptoms after surgery, radiaton, and chemotherapy, the possibility of its metastasis should be suspected because it can spread to the intracranial cavity even without malignant transformation as shown in this case.

Spinal cord pilocytic astrocytoma with leptomeningeal dissemination to the brain. Case report and review of the literature

Leptomeningeal dissemination of low-grade spinal cord gliomas is an uncommon event. The authors report a unique case of leptomeningeal dissemination of a spinal cord pilocytic astrocytoma (PCA) to the intracranial cerebral subarachnoid spaces in a child. A 2-year-old boy presented with a loss of balance and the inability to walk or stand. An intradural intramedullary spinal cord tumor was identified, and the lesion was subtotally resected and diagnosed by the pathology department to be a PCA. Subsequently, the patient had recurrences of the intradural intramedullary tumor at 6 months and 2 years after his original presentation. He underwent a repeated resection of the recurrent tumor and fenestration of an associated syrinx on both occasions. The pathological characteristics of the reresected tumor remained consistent with those of a PCA. Postoperative imaging after his last surgery revealed diffuse intracranial leptomeningeal dissemination into the cisternal space surrounding the midbrain, the suprasellar region, and the internal auditory canal, as well as nodular subarachnoid disease in the upper cervical region. The patient then underwent chemotherapy, and total spine magnetic resonance (MR) imaging 2 months later demonstrated stability in the size of the spinal cord tumor and a decrease in the associated syrinx. However, an MR image of the head demonstrated two new areas of supratentorial subarachnoid leptomeningeal spread of the primary spinal cord tumor at the 2-month follow-up examination. At the 6-month follow-up examination, MR imaging of the head and spine demonstrated stable metastatic disease. This case illustrates a unique instance of supratentorial leptomeningeal dissemination of an intramedullary spinal cord PCA in a child.

Dissemination patterns of pilocytic astrocytoma

Two patients with multifocal pilocytic astrocytoma diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and confirmed by histopathological examination are reported. They presented distinct sites and mechanisms of metastasis: to distant ventricles through the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in patient 1 and to contralateral parenchyma, possibly through white matter tracts, in patient 2, a pathway not so far reported in pilocytic astrocytoma. Early detection of multifocal pilocytic astrocytoma by MRI may change treatment strategies and improve prognosis.

Leptomeningeal metastasis of primary central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms

Leptomeningeal dissemination of primary CNS tumors varies widely by histologic subtype. In certain tumors including medulloblastoma, ependymoma, germ cell tumors, and primary CNS lymphoma, seeding of the cerebrospinal fluid space is a critical factor in determining stage, prognosis and appropriate therapy. Other tumor types, such as glioma, may have radiographic evidence of leptomeningeal metastases without clear impact on prognosis or therapy.

Spinal cord malignant astrocytomas. Clinicopathologic features in 36 cases

BACKGROUND

Malignant astrocytomas of the spinal cord are uncommon neoplasms with a dismal prognosis. To the authors' knowledge, little information has been published to date regarding the prognostic impact of clinicopathologic factors.

METHODS

The authors studied 36 cases to investigate the prognostic effect of the World Health Organization (WHO) tumor grade, tumor localization, cell proliferative activity, p53 expression, and therapy.

RESULTS

Sixteen patients (44%) underwent biopsy alone, 11 (31%) underwent subtotal resection, and 7 (19%) underwent macroscopic total excision. For two patients, there were no data available regarding surgical treatment. Among the 36 patients (mean age, 32.4 years), there were 23 males (63%) and 13 (36%) females. Their initial biopsies showed 21 (63%) glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cases (WHO Grade 4), 13 (36%) anaplastic astrocytomas (AA) (WHO Grade 3), and 2 (6%) astrocytomas (A) (WHO Grade 2). After initial surgery, 10 (29%) patients were treated with radiation therapy alone and 7 (19%) received radiation therapy with chemotherapy. Patterns of disease recurrence included extraneural metastases (two cases), brain metastases (five cases), local extension (one case), and diffuse spread along the neuraxis (six cases). Two A (100%) and six AA (46%) cases progressed to GBM. The overall median survival time was 33 months (range, 24-42 months) for A, 10 months (range, 1-84 months) for AA, and 10 months (range, 1-43 months) for GBM.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients older than 40 years have a shorter survival period compared with younger patients. There is a high risk of central nervous system dissemination in patients with this disease.