Rapid Regrowth of Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor after Gross Total Resection in Adult: Case Report

Abstract

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs) are rare embryonal tumors. Herein, we present an unusual case of an AT/RT showing rapid regrowth to more than its original size approximately 1 month after gross total resection (GTR). A 22-year-old man presented with a severe headache. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a tumor was found in the left cerebellopontine angle (2.8 × 3.7 × 3.7 cm; 38.3 cm3). GTR was performed, and biopsy confirmed AT/RT. On day 38 after surgery, a follow-up MRI due to abrupt mental deterioration to coma was performed, showing that the tumor had regrown to be even larger than its original size (3.6 × 3.5 × 5.3 cm; 66.78 cm3). After 1 month, the patient died. The median survival of AT/RT patients who undergo GTR is 20 months. In our case, the patient died much earlier than the previously reported overall survival duration after GTR. Therefore, physicians should always be wary of the possibility of rapid regrowth of AT/RTs when establishing the treatment plan.