Transmission of glioblastoma multiforme following bilateral lung transplantation from an affected donor: case study and review of the literature.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case report and narrative literature review
PubMed 15279719 · doi:10.1215/S1152851703000474
What was done
A case report and literature review evaluating transmission of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) via organ transplantation. A patient received bilateral lung transplants for pulmonary fibrosis from a donor with known GBM who died from an intracranial bleed. Organs (lungs, heart, liver, kidneys) were allocated to four centers.
What was found
An enlarged hilar lymph node sampled at the time of transplant contained GBM. Four months later, the lung recipient developed diffuse interstitial pulmonary infiltrates and mediastinal lymphadenopathy; lung biopsy confirmed metastatic GBM, and the patient died 2 weeks after diagnosis. The liver recipient from the same donor also developed GBM. The abstract reports no numerical statistics.
Why it matters
This report confirms that primary intracranial glioblastoma multiforme can transmit extraneurally to multiple transplant recipients with fatal outcomes, emphasizing the need for rigorous donor evaluation and risk-reduction protocols.
Limits
Single-patient case report with literature review; outcomes for the heart and kidney recipients are not detailed in the abstract; lacks systematic quantitative data on donor-transmitted tumor incidence or intervention effectiveness.
Cited by
- supports Organ transplants from donors with glioblastoma multiforme have transmitted metastatic cancer to the transplant recipients.