Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary CNS malignancy with a median survival of 15 months. The average incidence rate (IR) of GBM is 3.19/100,000 population and the median age of diagnosis is 64 years. Incidence is higher in men and individuals of white race and non-Hispanic ethnicity. Many genetic and environmental factors have been studied in GBM but the majority are sporadic and no risk factor accounting for a large proportion of GBMs has been identified. However, several favorable clinical prognostic factors are identified including, younger age at diagnosis, cerebellar location, high performance status and maximal tumor resection. GBMs comprise of primary and secondary subtypes which evolve through different genetic pathways, affect patients at different ages and have differences in outcomes. We report the current epidemiology of GBM with new data from the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) 2006–2010 as well as demonstrate and discuss trends in incidence and survival. We also provide a concise review on molecular markers in GBM that have helped distinguish biologically similar subtypes of GBM and have prognostic and predictive value.

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Phantosmia is an infrequently reported and poorly understood qualitative olfactory disorder characterized by the perception of a frequently unpleasant odor in the absence of an odorant stimulus. Peripheral phantosmia is hypothesized to involve abnormally active olfactory receptor neurons while central phantosmia is theorized to be the result of hyperactive neurons in the cortex. The authors present a case report that describes 2 patients with incomparable tumors and radiation fields who both experienced phantosmia featuring a halitosis-like odor during their courses of radiation therapy. Both the 6-year-old with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma and the 15-year-old with World Health Organization grade II-III astrocytoma in the bifrontal lobes experienced significant distress and decreased quality of life during treatment because of the phantosmia, which resolved after completion of radiation therapy. To the best of the authors' knowledge, these are the first descriptions of phantosmia during focal or whole-brain radiation therapy.

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We propose the use of the term 'acute hyperextension myelopathy' to categorize patients with spinal cord infarction secondary to hyperextension. DWI sequencing on MRI should be considered to evaluate for early signs of spinal cord ischemia in these patients. Use of a broader term for diagnostic classification can help include patients with spinal cord infarction due to a common mechanism.