Gliosarcoma with multiple extracranial metastases: case report and review of the literature

Gliosarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of the central nervous system with a propensity for metastasis. There are fewer than 20 reported cases of extracranial metastases of gliosarcoma with the majority of cases reflecting a tendency for hematogenous dissemination. Here we describe the case of a 47-year-old man who developed pervasive extracranial metastases from a temporal gliosarcoma following radio- and chemotherapy for a primary glioblastoma. The patient initially presented with progressively worsening headaches, left-sided weakness and numbness associated with right temporo-parietal mass for which he underwent craniotomy with stereotactic gross-total excision. Two months postoperatively, interstitial brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy were initiated. The patient initially declined chemotherapy. The tumor recurred twice and the patient underwent re-operation and multiple courses of chemotherapy; histopathological diagnosis remained glioblastoma multiforme. Nineteen months following initial resection the patient's clinical status deteriorated and CT scan demonstrated multiple intrathoracic, hepatic and splenic lesions. Postmortem examination revealed widespread, infiltrating gliosarcoma with intravascular gliomatosis and extensive visceral metastases. This is the first report of pervasive extracranial metastases to numersous sites, several of which have not been previously reported. The histogenesis and the potential role of therapeutic irradiation in the development of gliosarcoma are briefly reviewed.