Glioblastoma with metastasis to the spleen--case report

A 47-year-old woman presented with headache and left homonymous hemianopsia. T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with contrast medium showed a mass lesion with ring-like enhancement in the right temporo-occipital lobe. The patient underwent surgery, focal irradiation, and chemotherapy. The histological diagnosis was glioblastoma. Four months after the operation, the patient again developed headache and left homonymous hemianopsia in addition to vomiting and mild left hemiparesis. MR imaging showed recurrence of the tumor and hydrocephalus. The patient underwent a second craniotomy and placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Intraoperative findings revealed that the transverse-sigmoid sinus was occluded by tumor invasion. The patient died of intraventricular dissemination 2 months after the second operation. Autopsy revealed metastases in the spleen and lungs. Glioblastoma with metastases to the spleen is very rare. The prognosis for patients is poor. Excessive therapy should not be used for patients with extracranial metastases from glioblastoma.