Fetal brain tumors
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Fetal brain tumours are uncommon and tends to have very different pathological spectrum than that observed in adults; in order of decreasing frequency:
- fetal intracranial teratoma: most common tumour by far
- astrocytoma/glioblastoma: next most common
- craniopharyngioma: papillary type
- primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET)
- choroid plexus papilloma
- meningeal tumours
- ependymoma
- intracranial lymphangioma 7
Clinical presentation
Many present late in pregnancy (i.e in the 3rd trimester 1).
Radiographic features
Antenatal ultrasound
Ultrasound has only a limited role in diagnosing the specific histological sub-type but has overall high detection rate 6. Generally speaking, many fetal intracranial tumours have the following sonograhpicsonographic features:
- echogenic and semi-cystic space occupying lesion with or without distortion of normal symmetrical intracranial (usually midline) structures
- fetal intracranial calcification
- fetal hydrocephalus
- macrocephaly
- presence of other associated structural anomalies
- polyhydramnios
Additional features include:
- high-output cardiac failure (hydrops fetalis)
- abnormal cerebral Doppler flow velocimetry
Treatment and prognosis
While prognosis for individual lesion can somewhat vary, intracranial tumours in general carry a poor prognosis in fetal population.
See also
-</ul><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Many present late in pregnancy (i.e in the 3<sup>rd</sup> trimester <sup>1</sup>).</p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Antenatal ultrasound</h5><p>Ultrasound has only a limited role in diagnosing the specific histological sub-type but has overall high detection rate <sup>6</sup>. Generally speaking, many fetal intracranial tumours have the following sonograhpic features:</p><ul>- +</ul><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Many present late in pregnancy (i.e in the 3<sup>rd</sup> trimester <sup>1</sup>).</p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Antenatal ultrasound</h5><p>Ultrasound has only a limited role in diagnosing the specific histological sub-type but has overall high detection rate <sup>6</sup>. Generally speaking, many fetal intracranial tumours have the following sonographic features:</p><ul>
-<li>abnormal cerebral Doppler flow velocimetry</li>- +<li>abnormal cerebral <a title="Doppler flow velocimetry" href="/articles/doppler-flow-velocimetry">Doppler flow velocimetry</a>
- +</li>
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