A rare case where a brain tumor grew into the skull bone
Original title: Primary glioblastoma with spontaneous transdural invasion and contiguous calvarial/mastoid osteolysis: a case report and literature review.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This is a report on one patient, not a study or a new treatment.
The short version
Doctors report one man whose brain tumor spread into his skull bone.
What was studied. This is a report about one patient, a 63-year-old man. He had dizziness, slow responses, and trouble walking, and tests confirmed glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary, a grade 4 brain tumor.
What they found. Scans showed a tumor in the right side of his brain. They also showed the tumor had eaten into the skull bone near his ear. Doctors removed the tumor and the damaged bone, gave radiation and a chemo drug, and at 3 months he was alive with no sign of regrowth.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary almost always stays inside the brain. In rare cases it can reach the skull bone. On scans, that can look like a different kind of tumor. Knowing this may help doctors get the diagnosis right.
What it doesn't mean: This is one man's story, not a study of many people. It does not show how well this care works for others. Three months is a short time to watch a tumor like this. It is not a cure, and it is not a new treatment you can ask for.
Source: PubMed, August 7, 2026 · Read the original
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