The following is a summary of “Concurrent glioma and multiple sclerosis: A systematic review of case reports,” published in the April 2024 issue of Neurology by Nafari et al.
Though rare, some people with multiple sclerosis (MS) develop brain tumors (intracranial gliomas), raising questions about a potential link and posing diagnostic hurdles.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study analyzing the outcomes of patients with glioma possessing a history of MS.
They gathered 63 studies from 1,672 databases (January 1990 to February 2023), with inclusion criteria focusing on peer-reviewed case reports/series documenting concurrent MS and glioma in patients, encompassing different glioma types.
The results showed 145 cases, with 51% women and 49% men, with an average age of 47.4 years. Common symptoms of glioma upon admission comprised seizures (31.2%), hemiparesis (15.6%), and headache (14.3 %). Around 75% of patients primarily had relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). MS treatments encompass interferon (IFN)-ß (44.6 %), glatiramer acetate (GA) (21.4%), fingolimod (19.6%), and natalizumab (19.6%). The mean time between MS and glioma diagnosis was 12.1 years, exhibiting various durations. Among the 59 reported cases, 45.8% resulted in patient fatalities, while the remaining 54.2% survived.
Investigators concluded that the rare co-occurrence of glioma and MS suggests potential shared underlying mechanisms, possibly genetic or environmental.
Source: msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(24)00034-8/abstract
