A Case of Haemorrhagic-Onset Glioblastoma With Delayed Diagnosis

Glioblastoma sometimes develops with acute onset due to intracerebral hemorrhage. Although it is sometimes difficult to diagnose patients with hemorrhagic-onset glioblastoma at the acute phase of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the progressive enlargement of perifocal edema or the development of contrast-enhanced lesion triggers the diagnosis of glioblastoma within six months. Herein, we present a rare case of glioblastoma in which the diagnosis was delayed as long as 17 months after ICH. A 62-year-old man presented with a headache and aphasia. Computed tomography revealed ICH in the left temporal lobe. Magnetic resonance (MR) images revealed that the hematoma had a mix of isointense and surrounding hypointense lesions on T1-weighted MR images and gadolinium-enhanced lesions at the wall and the septum of the hematoma. An endoscopic evacuation of the hematoma was performed. No causative lesions were found during intraoperative and histological examinations. After seven months, abnormal signals were completely resolved on MR images, except for the small and stable enhanced lesion on three-dimensional gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging (3D Gd-T1WI) at the base of the hematoma, which did not change in size for seven months. However, a large gadolinium-enhanced lesion at the left temporal lobe developed 17 months after ICH. He underwent total resection of the lesion and was diagnosed with glioblastoma. He received radiation therapy and temozolomide but died of disseminated recurrence 31 months after ICH. In conclusion, this report presents a didactic case of glioblastoma in which the diagnosis of glioblastoma was delayed 17 months after ICH whereas hemorrhagic-onset glioblastoma was previously considered ruled out in cases in which six months or more have passed after ICH. In order not to overlook these cases, follow-up with 3D Gd-T1WI is essential in the case of suspected tumor-related ICH and close follow-up is recommended when the enhanced lesion does not resolve after a long period even if it does not grow.