Successful Treatment with Dabrafenib/Trametinib of a Malignantly Transformed and Metastasized BRAF V600E Mutant Pleiomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Introduction: Pleiomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is considered a low-grade glioma with a favorable prognosis following surgical resection. We present a case report of a BRAFV600E mutant malignantly transformed and disseminated PXA that was successfully treated with BRAF-/MEK-targeted therapy (dabrafenib/trametinib). Case Presentation: At the age of 16 years, our patient underwent an initial subtotal resection of a right occipital PXA. Six months later, a reintervention for an asymptomatic tumor recurrence was performed and complete resection was achieved. The patient has been followed up by MRI for 14 years without arguments for recurrence but was lost to follow-up thereafter. At 38 years of age, he presented with a symptomatic local recurrence with extra-cerebral soft tissue extension, for which a third surgical resection was performed. Anatomopathological examination reported a grade 3 anaplastic PXA (aPXA); molecular analysis detected a BRAFV600E mutation. Three months later, before the initiation of radiotherapy, a local tumor recurrence was diagnosed, for which he underwent a fourth surgical resection. Radiotherapy was performed following the surgical debulking. One month after completion of radiotherapy, disease progression was documented including multiple sites of extracranial metastases (skeletal, lung, cervical lymph node, and subcutaneous metastases). Systemic treatment with a combination of BRAF-/MEK-inhibitors (dabrafenib/trametinib) was initiated and resulted in a rapid and deep tumor response (partial response according to RECISTv1.1) and absence of BRAFV600E mutant ctDNA in plasma at 6 weeks after treatment initiation. A near-complete metabolic remission was documented on [18F]FDG-PET/CT 3 months after starting systemic therapy. Conclusion: We present a rare case of malignant transformation and systemic dissemination of a BRAFV600E mutant PXA, occurring 20 years after the initial diagnosis. This case highlights the importance of long-term follow-up of patients diagnosed with these rare central nervous system tumors that initially are considered benign and also illustrates that BRAF/MEK inhibition can be an effective therapy for BRAFV600E mutated PXA, underscoring the importance of performing molecular genetic profiling of these tumors.

Chiari Type I Malformation Presenting with Unilateral Hearing Loss.

INTRODUCTION: Chiari type I malformations can present in different ways, but the most frequent symptom is an occipitocervical headache. Hearing loss as the main presenting symptom is rare. CASE: A young woman with progressive left-sided unilateral hearing loss was diagnosed with a Chiari type I malformation. She underwent a suboccipital craniectomy with C1 laminectomy and duraplasty. The hearing loss had resolved postoperatively with normalization of the audiometry. CONCLUSION: Chiari type I malformation can present solely with hearing loss. Improvement after surgical decompression is possible. This phenomenon is not emphasized well enough within the neurologic community. In this report, we present a summary of the pathophysiology and management in Chiari type I malformations.