Gliosarcoma: A Rare Mimic of Glioblastoma Deciphered on Histopathology - A Case Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21276/apalm.3934Keywords:
gliosarcoma, glioblastoma, high grade gliomas, reticulin, immunohistochemistry, vimentin, GFAPAbstract
Introduction: Gliosarcoma is a rare but clinically significant high grade malignant tumor considered as a variant of glioblastoma. However, inspite of resembling glioblastoma in its clinical course, gliosarcoma is known to show a distinct and characteristic biphasic architecture consisting of both mesenchymal (sarcomatous) and glial components making it distinct from glioblastomas on histopathology.
Case Presentation: We present a case of a 56 year old female who presented with chief complaints of inability to speak and seizures. While clinical and radiological examination pointed towards a broad differential of a high grade glioma, strategic use of histopathological and immunohistochemical examination led to a definitive diagnosis of a rare but high grade Gliosarcoma.
Conclusion: Our case highlights the importance of recognizing gliosarcoma as a separate entity on histopathology by highlighting its sarcomatous and mesenchymal components with strategic use of special stains such as reticulin and immunohistochemical markers such as GFAP and Vimentin. This is essential for predicting patient outcome and clinical course of the disease thus aiding the refinement of therapeutic strategies.
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