Background: Aim of the study was to classify Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and its variants on histology and analyze their clinicopathological features. Better understanding of the heterogeneous nature of GBM and its variants may provide improved treatment paradigms, prognostic classification and approaches towards molecular targeted treatments.Methods: 40 cases of GBM were analyzed retrospectively and prospectively, covering a period of 8 years (January 2008-July2015). Cases were analyzed on the basis of clinical presentation, histopathological features and radiological reports.
Results:Of the 40 cases of GBM, the Conventional GBM, GBM with oligodendroglial component, Giant Cell GBM accounted for 26, 9 and 3 cases respectively. While there was 1 case each of Gliosarcoma and P-NET variants. Conventional GBM most commonly presented with Headache (69.2%) and paresis (57.7%) whereas GBMO patients presented with convulsions. On radiology, the variants of GBM cannot be distinguished as the findings were similar in all of them. Non-palisading necrosis was predominantly present in Conventional GBM (61.5%) and palisading necrosis in GBMO (66.7%).
Conclusion:Histopathology remains the main tool for differentiating the variants as radiological differentiation is not possible due to similar appearing features.