[Brainstem glioma with supratentorial meningeal dissemination--a case report]

We present a very rare case of 7 year-old-girl who had a pontine glioma with supratentorial meningeal involvement. She complained severe headache with meningeal irritation. She showed fluctuating cranial nerve impairment of the both abducens and glosopharyngeal nerves but no signs of weakness or facial paresis. She also reported two episodes of generalized convulsion with unconsciousness during admission. MRI disclosed a hypointensity intrinsic brainstem mass with an enhancing exophytic component in the prepontine cistern and a sharp contrast uptake is disclosed in the left-meninges of the supratentrial structures. An open biopsy was performed and diagnosed as a high grade astrocytoma.