Radiation-induced gliomas following radiotherapy for craniopharyngiomas: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

The aim of this study was to collect, describe and analyze the radiation-induced gliomas in craniopharyngioma patients reported in the literature up to date. Review of the relevant literature was performed. One personal illustrative case was added. Reports of 15 patients, including the presented illustrative case, were evaluated. The average age of the patients at the time of irradiation was 12.5 years. All patients underwent conventional fractionated radiotherapy with mean total radiation dose of 55 Gy and an average latency period of 10.8 years. Glioma localization varied with the highest frequency of the temporal lobe involvement. All but one patient had high-grade gliomas on the histological exam. Although exceptionally rare, the radiation-induced gliomas in craniopharyngioma patients are potentially possible, long-term complications with devastating consequences in typically younger patients with long life-expectancy. The radiation-induced iatrogenic injury on one hand should provoke the research and elaboration of safer and at least, equally efficient alternative treatment modalities and on the other hand ought to prompt the investigation of the patients’ risk factors predisposing the oncogenesis after irradiation.