Manifestation of the malignant progression of glioma following initial intracerebral hemorrhage: A case report

BACKGROUND: Intracranial hemorrhage is extremely rare during the initial stages of glioma. Here, we report a case of glioma with unclassified pathology and intracranial bleeding. CASE SUMMARY: After the second surgery for intracerebral hemorrhage, the patient experienced weakness in the left arm and leg, but could walk unassisted. One month after discharge, the weakness in the left limbs had exacerbated and the patient also suffered from headaches and dizziness. A third surgery was ineffective against the rapidly growing tumor. Intracerebral hemorrhage may be the initial symptom of glioma in some rare cases, and atypical perihematomal edema can be used for diagnosis during an emergency. Certain histological and molecular features seen in our case were similar to that of glioblastoma with a primitive neuronal component, which is termed diffuse glioneuronal tumor with features similar to oligodendroglioma and nuclear clusters (DGONC). The patient underwent three surgeries to remove the tumor. The first tumor resection had been performed when the patient was 14-years-old. Resection of the hemorrhage and bone disc decompression were performed when the patient was 39-years-old. One month after the last discharge, the patient underwent neuronavigation-assisted resection of the right frontotemporal parietal lesion plus extended flap decompression. On the 50(th) d after the third operation, computed tomography imaging showed rapid tumor growth accompanied by brain hernia. The patient was discharged and died 3 d later. CONCLUSION: Glioma can present as bleeding in the initial stage and should be considered in such a setting. We have reported a case of DGONC, which is a rare molecular subtype of glioma with a unique methylation profile.