Rapamycin as an alternative to surgical treatment of subependymal giant cell astrocytomas in a patient with tuberous sclerosis complex

Abstract

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is associated with the potential development of benign hamartomas, including subependymal giant cell astrocytomas (SEGAs). Intracranial hypertension can be caused by SEGAs due to their propensity to block the foramen of Monro. The traditional management approach is to monitor SEGAs with periodic neuroimaging and to resect those that exhibit serial growth and/or cause clinical signs of intracranial hypertension. Recent observations suggest that rapamycin therapy may induce partial regression of SEGAs, therefore providing a potential alternative to resection. The authors present the case of an 8-year-old girl with bilateral SEGAs that led to progressive hydrocephaly and incipient signs of papilledema. Three months after initiating rapamycin therapy, the SEGAs exhibited significant reduction in size (82.6% on the left and 46.7% on the right), and the lesions remained stable 5 months later. Compared with previous case reports, similar or even greater antitumor efficacy was achieved with much lower trough levels of rapamycin (10–15 compared with 3.3–4.5 ng/ml, respectively). The authors discuss various aspects of rapamycin therapy and address unresolved issues that highlight the need for further prospective clinical trials.