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Shields LBE, Nickols HH, LaRocca RV, Spalding AC, Shields CB, Rao AJ. Unique Presentation and Diagnostic Challenges in Metastatic Cerebral Angiosarcoma: Case Report. NEUROSURGERY OPEN 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/neuopn/okab014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE
Angiosarcoma is a malignant endothelial tumor arising from vascular or lymphatic tissue. Metastatic cerebral angiosarcoma has been rarely reported and is associated with a poor prognosis.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
We report a 22-yr-old man who presented with a complex partial seizure. Contrasted brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed 3 enhancing masses of the left frontal-parietal junction, right occipital lobe, and right caudate nucleus. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis and a cardiac MRI revealed no evidence of primary tumor. Immunohistochemistry following biopsy was positive for the ETS transcription factor ERG, CD31, FLI-1, and FosB, confirming angiosarcoma. CT/positron emission tomography (PET) scan showed skeletal metastases in the left iliac bone, sacrum, and T6 vertebral body. The patient underwent resection of the 2 cortical masses, stereotactic radiosurgery to the intracranial lesions as well as to his oligometastases, and was treated with 9 cycles of paclitaxel and bevacizumab. Brain MRI and CT/PET body imaging after cycle 9 revealed no tumor recurrence or progression. The progression-free and overall survival following the diagnosis of brain metastases was 27 mo.
CONCLUSION
Neurosurgeons should be aware of the unique presentation and diagnostic challenges in metastatic cerebral angiosarcoma, particularly in cases when the primary tumor site is unknown. Furthermore, combined surgery, ablative radiation, and targeted systemic and biological therapy can result in prolonged survival even in patients with metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa B E Shields
- Norton Neuroscience Institute, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | | | - Renato V LaRocca
- Norton Cancer Institute, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Aaron C Spalding
- Norton Cancer Institute, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Christopher B Shields
- Norton Neuroscience Institute, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Abigail J Rao
- Norton Neuroscience Institute, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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Drosos E, Kalyvas A, Komaitis S, Skandalakis GP, Kalamatianos T, Liouta E, Neromyliotis E, Alexiou GA, Stranjalis G, Koutsarnakis C. Angiosarcoma-related cerebral metastases: a systematic review of the literature. Neurosurg Rev 2019; 43:1019-1038. [PMID: 31165296 DOI: 10.1007/s10143-019-01127-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Angiosarcoma-related cerebral metastases have only been recorded in a few case reports and case series and have not been systematically reviewed to date. Our objective was therefore to perform a systematic literature review on cases of angiosarcomas metastasizing to the brain to inform current practice. All three major libraries-PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane-were systematically searched, until January 2019. Articles in English reporting angiosarcoma-related cerebral metastases via hematogenous route were included. Our search yielded 45 articles (38 case reports, 5 retrospective studies, 1 case series and 1 letter to the editor), totaling 48 patients (mean age 47.9 years). The main primary site was the heart. The mean time of diagnosis of cerebral metastases following primary tumor identification was 4.9 months. In 15 cases, the brain was the only metastatic site. In cases of multiple extracerebral metastases, the most common sites were the lung and bone. Acute intracerebral supratentorial hemorrhage was the most common presenting radiological feature. Treatment strategies were almost equally divided between the surgical (with or without adjuvant treatment) and the medical arm. Mean overall survival was 7.2 months while progression-free survival was 1.5 months. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic literature review on angiosarcoma-related cerebral metastases. This pathology proves to be an extremely rare clinical entity and carries a poor prognosis, and no consensus has been reached regarding treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelos Drosos
- Athens Microneurosurgery Laboratory, Ploutarhou 3, Athens, Greece.,Department of Neurosurgery, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ypsilantou 45-47, Athens, Greece
| | - Aristotelis Kalyvas
- Athens Microneurosurgery Laboratory, Ploutarhou 3, Athens, Greece.,Department of Neurosurgery, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ypsilantou 45-47, Athens, Greece.,Hellenic Center for Neurosurgical Research "Petros Kokkalis", Ploutarxhou 3, Athens, Greece
| | - Spyridon Komaitis
- Athens Microneurosurgery Laboratory, Ploutarhou 3, Athens, Greece.,Department of Neurosurgery, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ypsilantou 45-47, Athens, Greece.,Hellenic Center for Neurosurgical Research "Petros Kokkalis", Ploutarxhou 3, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Theodosis Kalamatianos
- Hellenic Center for Neurosurgical Research "Petros Kokkalis", Ploutarxhou 3, Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelia Liouta
- Hellenic Center for Neurosurgical Research "Petros Kokkalis", Ploutarxhou 3, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleftherios Neromyliotis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ypsilantou 45-47, Athens, Greece
| | - George A Alexiou
- Neurosurgery Department, University of Ioannina, Leof. Stavrou Niarchou, Ioannina, Greece
| | - George Stranjalis
- Athens Microneurosurgery Laboratory, Ploutarhou 3, Athens, Greece.,Department of Neurosurgery, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ypsilantou 45-47, Athens, Greece.,Hellenic Center for Neurosurgical Research "Petros Kokkalis", Ploutarxhou 3, Athens, Greece
| | - Christos Koutsarnakis
- Athens Microneurosurgery Laboratory, Ploutarhou 3, Athens, Greece. .,Department of Neurosurgery, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ypsilantou 45-47, Athens, Greece. .,Hellenic Center for Neurosurgical Research "Petros Kokkalis", Ploutarxhou 3, Athens, Greece.
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