ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Congenital glioblastoma (cGBM) is a brain tumor very rarely observed in newborns and young infants, and differs in several respects from glioblastoma (GBM) of childhood and adulthood. Our aim was the presentation of a cGBM case with 14 days of postnatal survival at the Pediatric Oncology Center of the Markusovszky University Teaching Hospital in 2004. We investigated formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded autoptic tumor samples of the newborn by immunohistochemical and molecular genetic (FISH and pyrosequencing) methods. We found polysomy of chromosome 2 and 5' deletion of the ALK gene in the glioma cells by ALK FISH. This result indicates the importance of molecular analyses in the diagnostic evaluation of cGBM, and raises the possibility of a personalized, targeted therapy (crizotinib, alectinib).
Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms , Glioblastoma , Adult , Brain Neoplasms/genetics , Brain Neoplasms/therapy , Crizotinib , Glioblastoma/congenital , Glioblastoma/genetics , Glioblastoma/pathology , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/geneticsABSTRACT
The atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumour (ATRT) is a rare type of central nervous system tumour appearing usually under 2 years of age. The survival of patients is insufficient despite the combined treatment (neurosurgical removal, intensive chemo- and radiotherapy). ATRT recurs one year after completion of treatment in 60% of cases. Maintaining appropriate nutritional status during treatment is of great importance in this young age group. Nutritional treatment of patients with ATRT is especially difficult due to young age and possible neurological sequelae. A successful case of a three-month-old female infant is presented, with special emphasis on the importance of feeding therapy.