Congenital brain tumors: diagnostic pitfalls and therapeutic interventions

Congenital brain tumors are rare, accounting for 0.5% to 4% of all pediatric brain tumors. A 10-year retrospective study based on autopsy and neurosurgical clinical reports with a diagnosis of congenital/fetal/neonatal brain tumor identified 6 cases. Four cases were diagnosed antenatally by neuroradiology. Clinical outcomes in 5 cases resulted in death; 1 patient with choroid plexus papilloma underwent successful resection of the tumor and is still alive. Tumor pathologies consisted of 2 teratomas, 2 choroid plexus papillomas, 1 gemistocytic astrocytoma, and 1 glioblastoma multiforme. A literature review of all fetal cases specific to the pathologies presented in this series was also performed. Relative to the literature, this series contains a rare case of congenital gemistocytic astrocytoma. This series further sheds light on the diagnostic, histological, prognostic, and therapeutic differences between congenital brain tumors and tumors of the same pathology in older pediatric and adult populations.