Medulloblastoma arising from an immature teratoma of the posterior fossa. Case report.
Teratomas, a group of nongerminomatous germ cell tumors, account for 3% of all childhood tumors. These unusual lesions reproduce the cellular and structural phenotypic traits associated with the three classic germ layers in inappropriate places in the body and often retain an embryonal character. These immature cells can differentiate into more malignant neoplasms. An intracranial location for this lesion type is rare. The authors describe the case of a 2-year-old boy with a teratoma of the posterior fossa that had partially differentiated into a medulloblastoma.
Das
Sunit
S
Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, USA. s-das@md.northwestern.edu
Muro
Kenji
K
Goldman
Stewart
S
Rajaram
Veena
V
DiPatri
Arthur J
AJ
D001706:Biopsy; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002551:Cerebral Ventricle Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D020546:Fourth Ventricle / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013724:Teratoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*