Three distinct co-existent primary brain tumors in a patient

A rare case of simultaneous occurrence of three entirely distinct intracranial tumors is described. A 55-year-old male with no evidence of phacomatoses or history of radiation therapy presented with complaints of increased drowsiness, headaches, and dysarthria. Investigations revealed an olfactory groove meningioma, a glioblastoma multiforme in the left medial temporal lobe, and a diffuse glioma in the brain stem. Occurrence of multiple varieties of tumors at the same time is extremely rare. Theories that explain their occurrences including the role of common carcinogens, autocrine growth factors, and tumor suppressor genes are discussed.