Symptoms and signs are similar to those of the ordinary glioblastoma.
Methodology of
diagnosis and treatment are the same.
Prognosis is similar to the ordinary glioblastoma, which is approximately 12 months,[3] although some authors refer to cases with a slightly better outcome.[4][5][6][7][8]
Historical annotation
The giant-cell glioblastoma was originally termed monstrocellular sarcoma, because of its stromal reticulin network,[9][10] but the
astrocytic nature of the
tumor was firmly established through the consistent
GFAP expression analysis.[11][12][13]
Epidemiology
Incidence
The giant-cell glioblastoma is a rare
neoplasia: its incidence is less than 1% of all
brain tumors. It represents up to 5% of glioblastomas.[14]
Age and sex distribution
The mean age at clinical presentation is 42. The age distribution includes children and has a wider range than other diffuse
astrocytomas (diffuse
WHO grade II astrocytoma,
anaplastic astrocytoma, ordinary glioblastoma).[14][15][16]
The giant-cell glioblastoma affects males more frequently (the M/F ratio is 1.6).[1]
Prognosis
Most patients with giant-cell glioblastoma have unfavourable prognosis,[17] but some authors report clinical results slightly better than the ordinary glioblastoma,[8][7][6][5][4] in all probability because this variant seems less infiltrative, due to the nature of giant cells of this type.[1]
^DeAngelis LM, Loeffler JS, Adam N, Mamelak AN (2007).
"Primary and Metastatic Brain Tumors". In Pazdur R, Coia LR, Hoskins WJ, Wagman LD (eds.). Cancer Management: A Multidisciplinary Approach (10th ed.). Retrieved 4 August 2009.[page needed]
^
abKlein R, Mölenkamp G, Sörensen N, Roggendorf W (June 1998). "Favorable outcome of giant cell glioblastoma in a child. Report of an 11-year survival period". Child's Nervous System. 14 (6): 288–91.
doi:
10.1007/s003810050228.
ISSN0256-7040.
PMID9694343.
^
abShinojima N, Kochi M, Hamada J, et al. (August 2004). "The influence of sex and the presence of giant cells on postoperative long-term survival in adult patients with supratentorial glioblastoma multiforme". Journal of Neurosurgery. 101 (2): 219–26.
doi:
10.3171/jns.2004.101.2.0219.
ISSN0022-3085.
PMID15309911.
^Zulch KJ (1986). Brain Tumors: Their Biology and Pathology (3rd ed.). Berlin Heidelberg: Springer Verlag.
ISBN978-0-387-10933-6.[page needed]
^Jacque CM, Kujas M, Poreau A, et al. (March 1979). "GFA and S 100 protein levels as an index for malignancy in human gliomas and neurinomas". Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 62 (3): 479–83.
doi:
10.1093/jnci/62.3.479.
ISSN0027-8874.
PMID216839.
^Kleihues P, Burger PC, Scheithauer BW (1993). Histological Typing of Tumours of the Central Nervous System (2nd ed.). Berlin Heidelberg: Springer Verlag.
ISBN978-3-540-56971-8.[page needed]
^Russell DS, Rubinstein LJ (1989). Pathology of Tumors of the Nervous System (5th ed.). London: Edward Arnold.[page needed]
^
abPalma L, Celli P, Maleci A, Di Lorenzo N, Cantore G (1989). "Malignant monstrocellular brain tumours. A study of 42 surgically treated cases". Acta Neurochirurgica. 97 (1–2): 17–25.
doi:
10.1007/BF01577735.
ISSN0001-6268.
PMID2718792.