Multiple oligodendroglioma--case report

Multicentric high grade oligodendroglioma: a rare entity

A 74 year old male presented with 1 month history of weakness in right upper limb and motor aphasia for 15 days. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed three discrete ring enhancing lesions. An image guided awake craniotomy and biopsy of a lesion was performed. The histopathological examination revealed it to be a grade III Oligodendroglioma. This was a rare case of multicentric high grade oligodendroglioma has never been reported in literature. We report such a case with relevant review of literature.

[MRI for oligodendrogliomas]

MRI has dramatically improved the management of cerebral tumors and consequently oligodendrogliomas. T1 and T2-weighted images and gadolinium enhancement are very useful for tumor detection and characterization. Tumor enhancement is of a great prognostic value because it is highly predictive of high-grade oligodendroglioma. Three-dimensional MR images provide, with high precision, the anatomical location and the relationships with functional structures (motor and language areas). The recent technical progress in MRI and the use of diffusion images in the screening of tumors lead to a better definition of the lesion. Comparative analysis of MRI images is helpful to detect eventual relapse and adverse effects of treatment.