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Published on: September 25, 2012
Brain tumours in infancy: a clinicopathological study
S Hanieh1, A Hanieh, A J Bourne
1Department of Histopathology Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia.
Insights
Infants can develop a variety of brain tumors, differing from those in older children. Early diagnosis through antenatal ultrasound may identify congenital intracranial tumors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neuropathology
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Intracranial neoplasms in infancy present unique challenges.
- Understanding clinicopathological features is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of brain tumors diagnosed in infants.
- To differentiate infantile brain tumors from those in older children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of hospital records and histopathology data from 1962 to 1993.
- Analysis of 24 infant cases with intracranial neoplasms.
Main Results:
- A diverse range of brain tumors were identified in 24 infants (age 5 days to 1 year).
- Tumors were predominantly supratentorial (58%) with a male predominance (17:7).
- Congenital malformations may influence tumor location; metastatic malignancy is rare.
Conclusions:
- Infantile brain tumors exhibit distinct clinical presentations and locations compared to older children.
- Antenatal ultrasound may aid in detecting congenital intracranial tumors.
- Further research into specific tumor types and outcomes is warranted.
Abstract:
To investigate the clinicopathological features of brain tumours occurring in the first year of life, the records of the Department of Histopathology at the Adelaide Children's Hospital were examined for cases where the initial diagnosis of intracranial neoplasm had been made in infancy. Surgical material was available for review from 1972 to 1993 and autopsy cases were reviewed for an additional 12 years from 1962 to 1993. Twenty-four infants with intracranial neoplasms were diagnosed ranging in age from 5 days to 1 year (average = 7 months). There were 23 surgical cases and 1 autopsy case. The male to female ratio was 17:7. Fifty-eight percent of the tumours were located in the supratentorial region. Although the incidence is relatively low, this study demonstrates that a wide range of brain tumours, which differ significantly in both clinical presentation and location from those found in the older child, do occur during the first year of life. The location of the primary tumour may be affected by associated congenital malformations, and metastatic malignancy, although rare, may occur. Antenatal ultrasound examination may be useful in identifying congenital intracranial tumours.
