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Anaplastic astrocytoma during pregnancy: the importance of an effective multidisciplinary approach
  1. Valeria Filippi1,
  2. Severina Maria Leu2,
  3. Luca Marengo3 and
  4. Irene Hoesli1
  1. 1 Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  2. 2 Neurosurgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  3. 3 Anesthesiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  1. Correspondence to Dr Valeria Filippi; valeria.filippi{at}usb.ch

Abstract

A 34-year-old pregnant woman at 28 gestational weeks was diagnosed with a brain tumor after experiencing a generalised seizure. After completion of antenatal fetal lung maturation, she underwent an osteoplastic craniotomy parietal on the left side and a microsurgical partial tumor resection under general anaesthesia. With a histology of a diffuse astrocytoma and the postoperative stable amount of residual tumor on follow-up imaging, the pregnancy proceeded until 37 gestational weeks. A healthy baby boy was delivered by elective caesarean section. An awake craniotomy for removal of the residual tumor was planned two weeks later, followed by adjuvant treatment (combined radio-/chemotherapy). A multidisciplinary approach, combined with appropriate timing and a transparent and empathic communication, was able to create the most effective tailored management and optimise maternal and neonatal outcomes.

  • neuroanaesthesia
  • neurooncology
  • obstetrics and gynaecology
  • pregnancy
  • neurosurgery

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Footnotes

  • Contributors VF and SML conceived the presented idea. VF collected and interpreted the data. VF, SML and LM drafted the article. IH made a critical revision of the article and approved the final version to be published.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.