Hemangiopericytoma in the central nervous system: a case report

Abstract

Background: Hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are rare tumors. They arise from Zimmerman pericytes around capillaries and postcapillary venules. Most HPCs are located in the musculoskeletal system and the skin, while central nervous system HPCs are rare, with a prevalence of only 1%. HPCs usually affect adults in their fourth to fifth decade of life, with a slight male predominance. The clinical symptoms generally consist of headache and dizziness. Although the 10-year overall survival rate is 66%, there is a significant local recurrence rate as high as 80%. Surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy are the main treatment modalities for this unusual disease, and may make sure a better treatment outcome.Case Description: Here, we report a patient, who experienced a long-term disease duration of 10 years with repeated local recurrences, and received radical surgery and high-dose radiotherapy for three courses.Conclusions: Patients undergoing gross total surgical resection of the tumor as the initial surgery achieve good long-term local control. Studies revealed that post-operative adjuvant radiotherapy is indispensable in the treatment of central nervous system HPCs. A higher recurrence-free survival was noted in patients with adjuvant radiotherapy after surgery compared to with gross total resection alone. Patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy tend to survive longer without recurrence. The overall survival was significantly better in patients with adjuvant radiotherapy than without.