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Ewing's sarcoma of the skull in an infant. A case report and review
M G Hadfield1, V Y Luo, R L Williams
1Division of Neuropathology, Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
Insights
Ewing's sarcoma of the skull, though rare, generally has a favorable prognosis after treatment. This study reviewed 37 cases, highlighting surgical outcomes for calvarial tumors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neurosurgery
- Skeletal Tumors
Background:
- Ewing's sarcoma primarily affects long bones but can rarely occur in the skull.
- Calvarial Ewing's sarcoma presents a unique challenge due to its location and potential for intracranial invasion.
Abstract:
A 1-year-old female infant presented with a large 7-8 cm Ewing's sarcoma of the left parietal calvarium. It deeply indented the subjacent hemisphere. Wide surgical excision was followed by chemotherapy but not radiation. The patient was clinically free of tumor when she expired 9 months later of sepsis. Though primary Ewing's sarcoma of the skull is said to be relatively rare, we have tabulated 37 cases of this disorder, including the present one (we excluded mandibular tumors (> 100 cases) since they are not usually treated by neurosurgeons). The mean age was 11 years and of those available to follow-up, three quarters were tumor-free 6 months to 7 years postsurgery. The remainder survived an average of 21 months. Ewing's tumors of the calvarium generally grant a favorable prognosis following surgery and/or radiation and chemotherapy. Those at the base of the brain may be more difficult to eradicate. In addition to primary Ewing's tumors, metastases to the skull and the brain from other primary sources in the skeleton have been documented in several reports.