High-Grade Astroblastoma in a Young Female: An Enigma with a Rare Cautionary Tale

Abstract

Astroblastoma is an uncommon neuroepithelial primary brain neoplasm with speculative histopathological origin and unpredictable clinical behavior. They can be easily misdiagnosed, as they are rarely encountered in clinical practice and share common radiological and histopathologic appearances with other glial neoplasms. Herein, we report a case of high-grade astroblastoma in a 27-year-old female with complaints of seizures and loss of consciousness, which was misdiagnosed as atypical meningioma on neuroimaging, due to its rarity and superficial cortical location appearing as extra-axial mass. Although intraoperative findings were also of an extra-axial tumor, the histology and immunophenotype was of an astroblastoma; thus, highlighting the role of histopathology and immunohistochemistry.

Keywords

• astroblastoma
• histology
• neuroepithelial brain tumor