ID #313 Pediatric Glioblastoma in a 14-Year-Old Boy: A Case Report from Indonesia
Diko Anugrah Ramadhan, Nindy Putri Amalia, Luthfiana SyarifahAbstract
Background
Pediatric glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive primary brain tumor, rare in children, constituting 3–15% of pediatric gliomas, mostly in adolescence. Pediatric CNS tumors occur at about 6.23 per 100,000 children, being the most common solid cancer and leading cause of cancer death in this group. GBM represents about 14% of all primary brain tumors but is less common in children, with an incidence around 0.85 per 100,000. Standard treatment involves maximal safe surgery followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy.
Methods/Case Presentation
We report the case of a 14-year-old boy with a six-month history of worsening headaches, visual disturbances, and left-sided weakness. Diagnostic confirmation was achieved through CT imaging and post-surgical histopathological examination. The patient underwent maximal safe surgical resection followed by radiation therapy using the IMRT technique (59.4 Gy in 33 fractions, five days per week) with concurrent temozolomide at a dose of 75 mg/m² daily, including weekends. Clinical and laboratory monitoring were performed throughout chemoradiation to assess for potential side effects.
Results
The patient showed neurological deficits consistent with GBM, including muscle weakness and no visual perception. The patient tolerated chemoradiotherapy without signs of increased intracranial pressure were observed. During chemoradiation, the patient showed clinical improvement with visual acuity improving to light perception, and the performance status also improved.
Conclusion
This case highlights pediatric GBM’s aggressive nature and the crucial role of multidisciplinary care including surgery, pediatric oncology and radiation therapy. Early diagnosis and tailored multimodal therapy may improve survival and quality of life.