Primary leptomeningeal astrocytoma. Case report

Abstract

Gliomas very rarely arise from the leptomeninges. They can be both solitary and diffuse, and histological examination reveals mostly astrocytic tumors. The authors report a case (the 12th reported in the literature) of a solitary primary glioma of the leptomeninges in a 79-year-old man who presented with repeated seizures. A magnetic resonance image revealed an ill-defined enhancing lesion in the cerebral meninges. Autopsy examination showed a poorly demarcated astrocytoma in the sylvian fissure infiltrating the adjacent subarachnoid space. The literature concerning primary leptomeningeal glioma is reviewed.