Gliomatosis cerebri: a case report

Abstract

We report a case of gliomatosis cerebri in a 46-year-old woman with five-year history of seizures and psychiatric disturbance. There were also two episodes of lethargy, disorientation, and headache which cleared promptly with Mannitol. A 3rd episode terminated in her death. Remarkably, between the episodes of presumed increased intracranial pressure, the neurologic examination was normal except for the patient's denial of her illness. Postmortem examination revealed the entire right cerebral hemisphere to be enlarged and infiltrated by cells resembling astrocytes. The clinical signs, symptoms, and controversial histopathologic features of this rare entity are discussed.