Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor in Central Nervous System: Report of 2 Cases

ABSTRACT

We report two cases of atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor(AT/RT) in the central nervous system. Primary central nervous system AT/RT is an extremely rare malignant tumor affecting infants and young children. These tumors have been diagnosed previously as primitive neuroectodermal tumors(PNETs) because AT/RT contains fields indistinguishable from classic PNETs. Separation of these two tumor types is crucial because the prognosis for AT/RT is poor even when treatment includes surgery with or without radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. Clinical, radiological and histopathological features of AT/RT are presented.