Malignant transformation of a desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma

We describe a rare case of desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma that appears to have transformed into a glioblastoma multiforme tumor in a 5-year-old girl. The patient was initially treated with total removal of the tumor, without subsequent radiation therapy or chemotherapy. She was in good health for 3 years, but manifested a sudden onset of seizures, followed by severe headache, vomiting, and left-sided weakness. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large mass with rim enhancement at the previously operated site. The mass was completely removed, and the pathology report revealed glioblastoma multiforme. Postoperative chemotherapy and radiation treatment were administered. She has been followed for 11 years, and is alive without recurrence.