Unusual extraneural metastasis of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor in adults. Extracranial metastases are very rare, been described in the lungs, soft tissue, or the intraspinal space.

Through a PubMed-based bibliographic search, the authors reviewed the cases reported in the literature to date, emphasizing the epidemiology and pathophysiology of this rare condition. A clinical case of a 46-year-old man with an initial diagnosis of gliosarcoma, who received complete surgical and adjuvant treatment and later recurred as GB with incidental finding of a lung tumor, whose pathology reported metastasis of the primary, is illustrated.

Understanding the pathophysiology, it is likely that the incidence of extraneural metastases may continue to increase. Considering improvements in diagnostic techniques that allow early diagnosis, as well as advances in neurosurgical therapy and multimodal management with the aim of improving patient survival, the period in which malignant cells can spread and form extracranial metastases could increase. When screening should be performed to detect metastases in these patients is still not clear. The neuro-oncologists should pay attention to the systematic survey for extraneural metastasis of the GB. Timely detection and early treatment improve overall quality of patients' life.