A CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF 29 CASES OF GLIOSARCOMA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO 2 UNIQUE VARIANTS

In the present series. the clinical and pathological features of 29 pa tients of gliosarcoma diagnosed over a 12 yr period (1984-1995) are re viewed. Gliosarcomas constituted 0.48 per cent of all intracranial tum ours and 4.9 per cent of all cases of glioblastoma multiforme. Most pa tients (68.6%) with these tumours were above 40 yr of age. However, an interesting observation in the present series was that 10.3 per cent of patients (3/29) were below 14 yr of age, the youngest being 9 month s. A male preponderance was noted and the temporal lobe was involved i n 55 per cent patients. Histologically, in 25 of the 29 tumours, the s arcomatous component had the appearance of fibrosarcoma. Tumours from 4 patients were unique in that one showed rhabdomyoblastic differentia tion in the mesenchymal areas as confirmed by immunohistochemical stai ns and electron microscopy (gliomyosarcoma). In three others, the neop lastic spindle cell component was closely associated with discrete are as of osteogenic sarcoma. Follow up in 12 patients (including the 4 pa tients with unique variants) revealed poor outcome similar to glioblas tomas. All of them died within 1 month to 1.5 yr following surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. This study possibly represents the most c omprehensive and largest series of gliosarcomas being reported from In dia.