Fetal brain tumors

Fetal brain tumors are uncommon and tends to have very different pathological spectrum than that observed in adults; in order of decreasing frequency:

• fetal intracranial teratoma: most common tumor by far
• astrocytoma/glioblastoma: next most common
• craniopharyngioma: papillary type
• primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)
• choroid plexus papilloma
• meningeal tumors 
  • meningeal sarcoma
• ependymoma
• intracranial lymphangioma

Clinical presentation

Many present late in pregnancy (i.e in the 3 trimester ).

Radiographic features

Antenatal ultrasound

Ultrasound has only a limited role in diagnosing the specific histological sub-type but has overall high detection rate . Generally speaking, many fetal intracranial tumors have the following sonographic features:

• echogenic and semi-cystic space occupying lesion with or without distortion of normal symmetrical intracranial (usually midline) structures
• fetal intracranial calcification
• fetal hydrocephalus
• macrocephaly
• presence of other associated structural anomalies
• polyhydramnios

Additional features include:

• high-output cardiac failure (hydrops fetalis)
• abnormal cerebral Doppler flow velocimetry

Treatment and prognosis

While prognosis for individual lesion can somewhat vary, intracranial tumors in general carry a poor prognosis in fetal population.

See also

• fetal tumors

Siehe auch:

• fetal tumours
• fetale Tumoren