Case report: a preterm infant with an extradural myxopapillary ependymoma component of a teratoma and high levels of alpha-fetoprotein.
The sacrococcygeal region may be the origin of germinal tumors, of paragangliomas, and, rarely, of extradural myxopapillary ependymomas (MPE) in the newborn and child. A case is presented of a preterm child with an abdominal tumor, originating from the precoccygeal area, that turned out to be a teratoma with a component of an MPE. The high levels of alpha-fetoprotein in this preterm baby were initially misleadingly interpreted as a tumoral marker. The differential diagnosis and the difficulties in interpreting tumoral markers in infants are discussed.
Service de Pédiatrie, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France.
M A
MA
Hany
R
R
Bouvier
D
D
Ranchère
C
C
Bergeron
M
M
Schell
J P
JP
Chappuis
T
T
Philip
D
D
Frappaz
D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region; D013724:Teratoma / Q000097:blood*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins