Diffuse cerebrospinal gliomatosis presenting as motor neuron disease for two years

A patient with symptoms and signs of motor neuron disease for 2 years finally developed sensory disturbances and increased intracranial pressure. MRI and CT showed enlargement of the right side of the cerebellum, the brainstem and parts of the cerebral hemisphere with focal hyperperfusion demonstrated by SPECT. Necropsy revealed a diffuse cerebrospinal gliomatosis with loss of spinal motor neurons in tumour infiltration of the anterior horns. This type of spinal cord involvement is considered responsible for the unusual clinical presentation of the neoplasm.