Secondary cerebellopontine angle oligodendroglioma after cranial irradiation: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Purpose/Aim

Cerebellopontine angle (CPA) oligodendrogliomas are very rare, and only three preoperative cases have been confirmed. Secondary CPA oligodendrogliomas after radiation therapy are exceptionally rare, and no other cases have been reported.

Case report

We present a case of a 25-year-old male with CPA oligodendroglioma who experienced hearing loss in right ear with walking instability for more than 2 months. The patient underwent craniotomy in our hospital because of grade II astrocytoma of the right temporal lobe 10 years ago. Postoperative radiotherapy lasted for 30 days, and six rounds of chemotherapy were performed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head revealed a cystic lesion located in the right CPA. The patient underwent surgery without obvious complications, and the tumor was subtotally removed. Histopathological examination revealed a diagnosis of oligodendroglioma, World Health Organization (WHO) grade II. The patient was discharged on the tenth postoperative day with a good recovery. Two weeks after discharge, chemotherapy with temozolomide and radiotherapy were performed. The patient remained well at 8 months follow-up.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, no other cases of secondary CPA oligodendroglioma after cranial irradiation have been reported in the literature. Compared with general oligodendroglioma, the tumor has no typical calcification and is more aggressive. The cranial nerves in the CPA area are closely adhered, and the blood supply is abnormally rich. It is difficult to completely remove the tumor. Postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy should be carried out as soon as possible.

Keywords:

• Cerebellopontine angle
• oligodendroglioma
• radiation-induced glioma

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Chencheng Huang (Department of pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University) for technical assistance of pathology.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was approved by the ethical committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University.

Consent to publication

Informed written consent was obtained from the patient’s kin for publication of this case report and accompanying images.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

This work was supported by the Cooperative research promotion plan of basic medicine and clinical medicine of Anhui Medical University (grant number 2020xkjT044).