[Congenital brain tumor in neonate--case report and review of literature]. / Wrodzony guz mózgu u noworodka--opis przypadku i przeglad pismiennictwa.

The paper describes a case of prenatally diagnosed congenital brain tumor of an extremely rare histological type--oligodendrocytoma. The intrauterine ultrasound scans were interpreted as intracranial hemorrhage. The initial physical examination of the newborn revealed symptoms of mild increase of intracranial pressure. The diagnosis of brain tumor was based on computed tomography of the head performed on the 4th day of life. The tumor was totally (as histological and radiological test indicated) removed on the 9th day of life. At the age of 2 months, relapse of tumor was diagnosed. Reoperation and subsequent chemiotheraphy were introduced. At present, the child is 9 months old and no neurological impairment is visible. The discussion presents data on congenital brain tumor epidemiology and differences in location, histology and outcome between neonates and older children. Moreover, recent surgical and medical management is described.

Congenital oligodendroglioma with initial manifestation of jaundice.

Neonatal brain tumor is a rare clinical entity. The initial presentation in affected newborn infants is often subtle, nonspecific, and rarely includes focal neurologic signs. We report a 2-day-old male infant with congenital oligodendroglioma with initial manifestations of hyperbilirubinemia. Phototherapy was started immediately after admission. Because of a tense anterior fontanel and irritable crying, head ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging were performed and revealed a heterogenous brain tumor in the left temporoparietal lobe. Craniotomy and tumor evacuation was performed, and WHO grade III anaplastic oligodendroglioma was confirmed by the pathologic studies. The patient was discharged 3 weeks later, and outpatient follow-up examination revealed a normally developed infant at 6 months of age. The cause of jaundice was thought to be secondary to tumor hemorrhage, which was not infrequent in neonatal brain tumor.

Congenital oligodendroglioma: a case report of a 34th-gestational week fetus with immunohistochemical study and review of the literature.

A case of congenital oligodendroglioma occurring in a 34th-gestational week fetus is reported. The tumor was necrotic, hemorrhagic, and gelatinous. It covered the basal part of the brain, and almost the entire cerebellum was replaced by the tumor. The tumor cells had small, round, hyperchromatic nuclei and watery clear cytoplasm, and were arranged in a paved or alveolar pattern. Immunohistochemically, S100 protein, myelin-basic protein, neuron-specific enolase and Leu 7 were weakly positive for the cytoplasm, but glial fibrilliary acidic protein, synaptophysin, neurofilament, desmin, and vimentin were negative. Many tumor cell nuclei were positive for mutant p53 protein, and the labeling index was 85%. But there was no genetic alteration in exons 4 to 9 of p53 gene from the peripheral blood. The apoptosis index was 1.5%. Considering the p53 labeling index and the apoptosis index together, this congenital oligodendroglioma may be regarded as potentially malignant despite the benign morphological features.

[Congenital brain tumors in children under 1 year old]. / Vrozhdennye opukholi golovnogo mozga u detei pervogo goda zhizni.

Secondary, paraventricular and, less frequently, primary tumors of the lateral and third ventricles usually of supratentorial localization prevailed among congenital tumors of the brain. They impair the drainage of cerebrospinal fluid and cause internal hydrocephalus. The clinical picture of congenital cerebral tumors is characterized by a manifest hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome and a severe general condition. The neurological symptomatics, the EEG and the Echo-EG usually yielded exact information on internal hydrocephalus but rarely helped in determining the localization and character of the tumor. Pneumoventriculography, angiography, computer tomography, and radioisotope diagnosis were methods which provided the most information. Pneumoventriculography, however, causes many complications and the method of isotope diagnosis and computer tomography is therefore preferable because it is sparing and safe for the use in children of the first year of life.