An autopsy case of multicentric glioma of multiple histopathology

An autopsy case is described of an 66-year-old man with multicentric glioma of multiple histopathology, i.e. protoplasmic astrocytoma and glioblastoma. Enhanced CT scan revealed three separate lesions in the right cerebral hemisphere, pons, and cerebellar vermis. Initial diagnosis by CT included metastatic and primary brain tumor, multiple abscess, fungal infection, parasites, tuberculoma, and so on. Biopsy of the right frontal mass revealed astrocytoma grade-2. An autopsy revealed gelatinous, clear marginal mass in the right frontal, parietooccipital and cerebellar vermis; an opaque marginal mass with necrosis in dorsal pons was found. At microscopic examination, the right frontal tumor exhibited continuity with both the paraventricular and the right parietooccipital tumor. The right cerebral hemisphere and cerebellar vermis tumors showed protoplasmic astrocytoma; the dorsal pons tumor showed glioblastoma. CSF examination revealed no tumor cells. Tumor invasion of the internal capsule and the meninges was also not found. Accordingly, we diagnosed as multicentric astrocytoma of multiple histopathology. Only 11 case reports of multicentric glioma were recorded in Japan; only one of which was of multiple histopathology. Worldwide, only 7 case reports of multicentric glioma of multiple histopathology were recorded; this is the first case of protoplasmic astrocytoma and glioblastoma. Seen in terms of pathogenesis of multicentric glioma, this case is thought to be very interesting.