Rare synchronous association of vestibular schwannoma and indolent insular oligodendroglioma in a patient without neurofibromatosis: controversial issue of timing for surgical treatment of asymptomatic low-grade gliomas

Abstract

Maurizio Iacoangeli,1 Alessandro Di Rienzo,1 Roberto Colasanti,1 Lorenzo Alvaro,1 Niccolò Nocchi,1 Gabriele Polonara,2 Lucia Giovanna Maria Di Somma,1 Antonio Zizzi,3 Marina Scarpelli,3 Massimo Scerrati11Department of Neurosurgery, 2Department of Radiology, Section of Neuroradiology, 3Department of Pathology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Umberto I General Hospital, Ancona, ItalyAbstract: The co-occurrence of a vestibular schwannoma and a low-grade glioma is rare, and even rarer is the association with an oligodendroglioma. Although various authors have addressed the problem of treating patients with incidentally discovered indolent low-grade gliomas, an established protocol does not exist to date. The common approach is to reserve surgery until there is radiological evidence of tumor growth or high-grade transformation. However, because incidental low-grade glioma may represent the first stage of unavoidable pathological progression towards high-grade glioma, early and radical surgical resection should be advocated in order to increase the chance of a "cure" and prolonged survival. This case report supports this view, and suggests reflection on a possible change from a conservative philosophy to preventative surgical treatment.Keywords: multiple primary intracranial tumors, vestibular schwannoma, oligodendroglioma, indolent low grade gliomas, incidentaloma, surgery