Gliomatosis cerebri presenting as rapidly progressive dementia and parkinsonism in an elderly woman: a case report

Emmanuelle Duron , Anne Lazareth , Jean-Yves Gaubert , Carole Raso , Olivier Hanon and Anne-Sophie Rigaud

Department of Geriatrics, University René Descartes. Broca Hospital, AP-HP, France

author email corresponding author email

Journal of Medical Case Reports 2008, 2:53doi:10.1186/1752-1947-2-53


Published:	20 February 2008

Abstract

Introduction

Dementia is one of the most important neurological disorders in the elderly. Dementia of tumoral origin is rare and parkinsonism of neoplastic origin is unusual. We herein report a case of gliomatosis cerebri, a very rare brain tumor seldom affecting the elderly, which presented as rapidly progressive dementia and parkinsonism.

Case presentation

An 82-year-old woman very rapidly developed progressive dementia and akineto-rigid parkinsonism. Brain CT scan was normal. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium injection highlighted a diffuse tumor-related infiltration involving both lobes, the putamen, the pallidum, the substantia nigra, and the brainstem, corresponding to the specific description and definition of gliomatosis cerebri.

Conclusion

This atypical presentation of a gliomatosis cerebri, and the infiltration of the substantia nigra by the tumor, merits attention.