Primary leptomeningeal gliomatosis with predominant involvement of the spinal cord.

Abstract

The authors report on a 43-year-old male with apparent myelomeningeal encephalitis. The most important clinical symptoms included severe lymphocytosis of the CSF, cranial nerve palsies, obstructive hydrocephalus, progressive coma, and presence of an intramedullary mass causing paraplegia. Neither CSF analysis, nor the intraoperative findings gave evidence of a neoplastic process. Regarding the paraclinical data we supposed a CNS inflammatory process, but autopsy revealed the diagnosis of an intraspinal, leptomeningeal gliomatosis.