Diffuse midline glioma with H3 K27M-mutation in an 83-year-old woman

Abstract

Diffuse midline gliomas harboring histone H3 K27M mutations are most commonly found in the brainstem of children. This mutation confers a WHO grade IV designation and is associated with a particularly poor prognosis. Although traditionally considered to be a disease of children and young adults, a number of recent reports have described H3 K27M mutations in older adults with diffuse midline gliomas. Here, we present the unusual case of a diffuse midline glioma in the pons and cerebellum of an 83-year-old woman and review the evolving clinical literature on this entity in adults. This case underscores that it may occur even in older adults, in whom prognostic and treatment paradigms used in pediatrics may not be directly applicable.