[Pulmonary metastases of glioblastoma]

Extracranial metastases arising from primary brain tumors are very unusual. We report a case of glioblastoma with intra-thoracic spread characterized by mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis and bronchial, lung parenchyma and pleura carcinomatous lymphangitis. Pathologic findings are consistent with non-differentiated cell proliferation but Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein immunodetection can be helpful to relate such a non-differentiated cell proliferation to its glial origin. The mechanisms of extra-cerebral spread are discussed according to autopsic findings and to the data reported in the literature.