Malignant Transformation of Cerebellar Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma: A Case Report

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) generally occurs in children and young adults and is classified as a low-grade astrocytic tumor with a potential favorable prognosis. But these data must be interpreted with much caution, because of some rapid progression or malignant transformation during the postoperative follow-up. We report herein a rare case of a cerebellar PXA manifested as a benign lesion at first time in a 39 year-old woman, but with malignant transformation two years later. In this paper, we discuss the clinical signs, radiological findings and the therapeutic data on the subject according to literature review.