Concomitant presentation of a glioblastoma multiforme with superimposed abscess.

BACKGROUND: The coexistence of a primary brain tumor such as high-grade glioma and superimposed abscess is a rare entity and can present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The concomitant abscess may not be recognized until surgery, and the overall course of treatment may require adjustment in the presence of a coinciding infection. In the present report we evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of a glioblastoma multiforme with an intratumoral abscess.

METHODS: A patient was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme with a concomitantly superimposed multimicrobial abscess containing coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter iwofii, and Propionibacterium species. The suspected infectious source was a dental abscess with presumed secondary seeding. The patient underwent a left anterior temporal lobectomy with debulking of the lesion. Although the adjuvant therapy schedule was adjusted to accommodate the course of antibiotics, the existence of a concurrent abscess did not preclude adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy.

RESULTS: The patient responded well to antibiotic treatment with no evidence of recurrent infection. He underwent a second operation for additional debulking of the lesion approximately half a year after his initial surgery. The patient died 2 years after the initial diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS: There are insufficient guidelines on the treatment of a primary brain tumor with intratumoral abscess. In this report we present our therapeutic decisions in this rare case.