[Secondary intraspinal localizations of glioblastoma. Apropos of a case]

Metastasis of intracranial glioblastomas have been described for the first time more than fifty years ago. They are exceptional and seem to develop clinically in less than 2% of cases. In fact, microscopic metastasis (necropsic series) of such glioblastomas are much more frequent: from 6% for supratentorial glioblastomas to 60% in infratentorial ones; but patients usually die before clinical symptoms appear. The authors report on an intraspinal metastasis which appeared clinically four years after the removal of a frontal glioblastoma. The metastasis was subdural, T3. Preoperative radiological data (CT-scan, MRI) evoked a meningioma, while surgical findings favoured the diagnosis of neurinoma. The diagnosis of glioblastoma metastasis was suggested by intra-operative pathological findings, and confirmed a few days later on smears and stains studies.