Author(s)

Andrew W. Ju¹, H. Ian Robins^2,3,4, M. Shahriar Salamat⁵, Allison M. Grayev⁶, Steven P. Howard²

¹Department of Radiation Oncology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.
²Department of Human Oncology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
³Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
⁴Department of Neurology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
⁵Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
⁶Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.

Background: Radiation-induced gliomas of the spinal cord are rare late complications of spinal cord irradiation that typically occur in patients treated at younger ages. Aim: Raise awareness of radiation induced high grade gliomas with a case presentation and a review of the literature. Case Presentation: A 50-year-old male with Stage IVA squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx was treated with external beam radiotherapy with a complete response. Seven years later, he presented with a cervical spinal cord mass on MRI. An open biopsy was performed. Pathology revealed an intramedullary WHO grade IV astrocytoma, (i.e., glioblastoma multiforme) of the cervical spine that fulfilled the criteria for a radiation-induced malignancy. Conclusions : Review of the literature suggests that radiation-induced gliomas tend to be high grade and may occur at the periphery of an irradiated field. Radiation-induced gliomas of the spinal cord are a serious complication of radiotherapy that may occur in older patients with head and neck cancers, but are so rare that it should not affect treatment decisions.

Central Nervous System, Spinal Cord, Glioblastoma Multiforme, Radiation Induced, Head and Neck Cancer

W. Ju, A. , Robins, H. , Salamat, M. , M. Grayev, A. and P. Howard, S. (2016) Radiation-Induced Spinal Glioblastoma Multiforme: A Rare Complication in the Management of Head and Neck Cancer. International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 5, 233-241. doi: 10.4236/ijohns.2016.56036.