Glioblastoma multiforme incorrectly diagnosed as ADEM in children

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is an acute demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, characterized by an encephalopathy, multifocal grey matter and white matter involvement. Pediatric high-grade gliomas represent a heterogeneous group of tumors accounting for 15–20% of all pediatric brain tumors. We describe two children who were incorrectly diagnosed as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis initially, but subsequently found to have glioblastoma multiforme. The cases would exemplify the diagnostic difficulties in acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.