[Triple primary intracranial tumors of different cell types: a case report]

Abstract

We report a case of triple intracranial tumors of different cell types without phacomatosis. The patient was a 77-year-old female who was hospitalized with left hemiparesis and vomiting. Computed tomography (CT) scans revealed a large tumor mass in the right frontal lobe and relatively small tumor masses in the medial right frontal and parietal lobes. Other tumors were also detected in the sella turcica, left sphenoidal wing, left anterior clinoidal process and left cerebellar convexity. This case was considered to be one of metastatic brain tumors, and surgery was performed for the right frontal tumor because of its mass effect. The tumor was so highly vascular that it could not be totally removed. Postoperatively, the mass effect showed a gradual increase on CT scans because of intratumoral hemorrhage and peritumoral edema. The patient's consciousness level gradually fell, and she died of pneumonia and cardiac insufficiency 1 month after the operation. The surgical specimen of the tumor was diagnosed as glioblastoma multiforme by histological examination. At autopsy, the small tumors in the medial frontal lobe and parietal lobe were found to be clearly separated from the large right frontal tumor and were diagnosed as multicentric glioblastoma multiforme. The sellar tumor revealed chromophobe pituitary adenoma and was diagnosed as a prolactinoma by immunohistochemical examination. The tumors in the left sphenoidal wing and left cerebellar convexity were diagnosed as transitional meningiomas. Multiple primary intracranial tumors of different cell types without phacomatosis are relatively rare, but almost 100 reported cases could be found in the literature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)