CASE HISTORY

5.5 years ago patient presented with headaches and vomiting. At craniotomy at another hospital a large cyst was found in the left frontoparietal region and there was a mural nodule in the wall of the cyst. Biopsy of the mural nodule showed an astrocytoma, grade I. 3.5 years later, the patient began to deteriorate. One month before death patient became restless with headaches. A second craniotomy was performed and a large tumour recurrence was found and more than 80ml of fluid was removed. The patient was transferred to this hospital for radiotherapy but died within a few days of arrival.

PATHOLOGY

Specimen consists of the lower half of the brain. In the left frontoparietal region there is a large cystic space. This has destroyed the third ventricle and is in communication with the whole ventricular system. Near the base there is a certain amount of necrotic material and throughout the specimen there is brown staining by old blood pigment. In addition scattered over the whole of the ventricular system and the cavity there are innumerable small flattened whitish nodules of tumour.