Astrocytoma in a Renal Transplant Recipient: A Rare Case Report Publisher



Khorvash F¹ ; Behjati M² ; Abdi F³
Source: Hong Kong Journal of Nephrology Published:2012

Abstract

Malignancy is considered to be the third most common cause of death in renal transplant recipients. The etiology of posttransplantation malignancy seems to be multifactorial. This report describes a rare case of astrocytoma following renal transplantation. We encountered a 28-year-old man who presented with a 20-day history of headache, vomiting, and blurred vision prior to admission. The patient was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease and underwent two renal transplantations at 8 and 2 years prior, respectively. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid revealed a predominant lymphocytic pattern and increased protein levels. Brain imaging showed two separate ill-defined hypodense lesions. The patient underwent a stereotactic brain biopsy, from which the tumor was classified as a histological grade II astrocytoma. He received a course of radiotherapy treatments and his condition improved. The systematic screening of renal transplant recipients for cancer should be performed in order to enable early intervention when necessary. © 2012, Hong Kong Society of Nephrology Ltd. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved.