Congenital primitive neuroectodermal tumour presenting as obstructed labour

Antenatal diagnosis of the congenital craniopharyngioma

BACKGROUND

Craniopharyngioma is a rare fetal and neonatal tumor.

CASE REPORT

We report a case of a congenital craniopharyngioma diagnosed by prenatal magnetic resonance. This diagnosis was confirmed by postnatal MR imaging, neurosurgical treatment and histopathological examination.

CONCLUSIONS

Outcome of neonatal craniopharyngioma is very poor, even if radical surgery is performed. The main problems are pituitary insufficiency, diabetes insipidus, and visual disturbance.

A prenatal diagnosed case of primitive neuroectodermal tumor

Congenital brain tumors presenting in the first year of life account for 1.4-8.5% of all childhood brain tumors. Only 18% of congenital brain tumors are diagnosed before or at delivery. Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) is a highly malignant, small, blue-cell tumor which is characterized by early recurrence, metastasis, and high mortality. It makes up 13% of all fetal and neonatal brain tumors. Prenatal diagnosis of PNET or other congenital brain tumors is important because the presence of tumors may alter the time and mode of delivery and postnatal care planning. A prenatal case of PNET is described that was diagnosed with ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging; the case was confirmed histopathologically at postmortem examination.

I. Perinatal brain tumors: a review of 250 cases

Central nervous system tumors occur considerably less often in the fetus and neonate than in the older child. These tumors are not entirely the same as those found later in life. Their location, biologic behavior, response to therapy, and histologic types are different. Reports of 250 fetal and neonatal brain tumors were collected from the literature and studied for this review. The overall survival rate was 28%. The entire cranial cavity may be filled with tumor, and stillbirth is not uncommon. Macrocephaly was the most frequent presentation regardless of histology. Outcome is related to the size and location of the tumor, the histologic type, surgical resectability, and the condition of the infant at the time of diagnosis. Neonates with choroid plexus papillomas, gangliogliomas, and low-grade astrocytomas have the best prognosis, whereas those with teratomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumors have the worst prognosis.

Congenital ganglioglioma

Congenital neoplasms of brain presenting at birth are extremely uncommon. We report a case of congenital ganglioglioma presenting at birth with hydrocephalus. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt and surgical debulking of the tumour along with histopathological confirmation were done at 6 months of age. On follow-up at 18 months, the child's hydrocephalus is static and his assessed developmental age is 10-12 months.

Neonatal intracranial teratoma

Brain tumors diagnosed in neonatal period are extremely rare. A case of neonatal intracranial teratoma with extracranial extension, presenting with upper airway obstruction is reported. The preoperative diagnosis was made by cranial computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.