Cytogenetic and histopathologic studies of congenital supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors: a case report

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) represent about 25% of primary central nervous system tumors in childhood, but congenital PNETs are rare. Cytogenetic studies and studies on molecular pathology have identified several genetic alterations in medulloblastoma, but molecular investigations on supratentorial PNETs are infrequent. We present a male newborn with a large congenital PNET of the right cerebral hemisphere and the molecular analysis of the tumor. Tumor tissue was investigated by routine histology and immunohistochemistry. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization was carried out on native tumor tissue to investigate deletions on chromosome 17p and to analyze c-Myc or N-Myc amplifications. Histologic examination revealed a primitive neuroectodermal tumor with massive extension covering almost the entire right hemisphere. Genetic analysis of the native tumor tissue of our patient excluded a deletion of chromosome 17p. An amplification of the c-Myc or N-Myc oncogene was absent using fluorescence in-situ hybridization. Despite unremarkable genetic analysis in our case prognosis was poor, suggesting that there are additional, yet unknown constitutional genetic aberrations in the pathogenesis of congenital supratentorial PNET.