Clinical and Imaging Features of Head and Neck Metastasis of High-Grade Glioma: A Single-Center Case Series

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2025 Jan 8;46(1):160-165. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A8521.

Abstract

High-grade gliomas are the most frequent primary brain tumors, yet extraneural metastasis is exceedingly rare. This is in part secondary to the relatively poor survival of these patients and likely the shielding effect of the blood-brain barrier. Given the rarity of extraneural metastasis, the pathophysiology and imaging appearance of extraneural metastasis is under-reported and poorly understood. In this case series we present 6 patients with pathology-confirmed high-grade glioma and extraneural head and neck metastasis. We highlight imaging features of metastasis on CT, MRI, and PET/CT. We also explore potential correlations and pathophysiology of high-grade glioma metastasis to the head and neck region.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Brain Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain Neoplasms* / secondary
  • Female
  • Glioma* / diagnostic imaging
  • Glioma* / pathology
  • Glioma* / secondary
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms* / secondary
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / methods
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / methods
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed