Delayed CSF seeding of benign oligodendroglioma

We report the case of a man who at 42 years of age had right frontal lobectomy for removal of a benign oligodendroglioma. Seventeen years later, at age 60, he had resection of a fourth ventricular vermian lesion, which was found to be histologically identical to the original lesion. A further lesion in the left occipital lobe was not biopsied but was treated with radiation therapy. We suggest that these subsequent two neoplasms represent CSF spread of the original tumor. This case emphasizes the need for indefinite longitudinal surveillance for these patients.