Spinal subarachnoid metastasis from primary intracranial glioblastoma multiforme

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Abstract
Patients (25) with glioblastoma multiforme were autopsied in 7 yr. Spinal cords were examined in 20 and 5 had spinal leptomeningeal metastases. Clinical and neuropathological findings of these 5 patients are presented and factors possibly influencing such spread are analyzed. Review of previous studies of intracranial glioblastomas discloses only 14 reported cases with spinal leptomeningeal metastases confirmed at autopsy since 1931. Spinal leptomeningeal metastases in glioblastoma multiforme apparently are a common occurrence although present methods of control of the primary lesion are unsuccessful. Frequency of involvement of the spinal subarachnoid space will be significant to better treatment of the primary tumor. Knowledge of the significant possibility of this phenomenon will allow earlier and more frequent clinical diagnosis.