Epidural metastasis of a glioblastoma after stereotactic biopsy: case report

Tumor seeding along the biopsy tract is a rare complication in stereotactic biopsy. We present the unique case of a 42-year-old male with epidural tumor seeding along the needle tract after computer tomography-guided stereotactic biopsy of a glioblastoma in the right basal ganglia. Three months after the biopsy and one week following fractionated radiation therapy, the patient died of brain edema and cardiac dilatation. Besides further tumor growth at the primary site, autopsy revealed a right frontal epidural, nodular metastatic tumor at the site of dura incision of the stereotactic biopsy. Histological examination showed a glioblastoma that spread epidurally along the needle tract. This is the first report of an epidural intracranial implantation metastasis of a glioblastoma after stereotactic biopsy.