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Brain metastases from post-radiation malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour

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Abstract

A 45-year-old female patient developed a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (MPNST) arising from the left brachial plexus, ten years after regional radiation treatment for Hodgkin's disease. The clinical course was characterized by local recurrence, pulmonary and cerebral metastases with endocranic hypertension syndrome, and the death of the patient 18 months after the onset of symptoms. The tumour presented a histopathological picture of schwannoma with a high grade of malignancy. A particular feature of this case was the exceptional occurrence of the early and massive invasion of the brain.

Sommario

Una paziente di 45 anni sviluppò un “Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor” (MPNST) in una zona corporea precedentemente sottoposta a Rxterapia per morbo di Hodgkin. Il decorso fu caratterizzato da recidiva locale, comparsa di metastasi polmonari e cerebrali con sindrome da ipertensione endocranica e decesso della paziente 18 mesi dopo l'esordio della sintomatologia. La neoplasia presentava un quadro istopatologico di schwannoma ad alto grado di malignità. Caratteristica peculiare di questo caso di MPNST appare l'eccezionalità della precoce e severa diffusione metastatica all'encefalo.

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This work was partly supported by CTN CNR 92.02771.CT04.

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Fenzi, F., Moretto, G., Zamboni, G. et al. Brain metastases from post-radiation malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour. Ital J Neuro Sci 16, 495–498 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02229328

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02229328

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