Surgical management of huge neonatal brain tumor - Town hospital Experience

El Ghannam, Ahmed Osama; Ghanem, Mariam Abd Elrasheed; Abd Elsalam, Ahmed Mustafa Abd Elsalam

doi:10.21608/pajn.2024.316538.1145

Surgical management of huge neonatal brain tumor - Town hospital Experience

Document Type : Case Reports

Authors

¹ Town Hospital, Fifth Settlement, Cairo, EGYPT

² Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine for Girls Al-Azhar University, Cairo, EGYPT

³ Department of Pediatric Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, EGYPT

10.21608/pajn.2024.316538.1145

Abstract

Abstract

Background
Brain tumors are uncommon in infants younger than 6 months old. The most common types of neonatal brain tumors include teratomas, astrocytomas, embryonal neoplasms, choroid plexus tumors, craniopharyngiomas, gangliogliomas, ependymal tumors, meningeal tumors, and other miscellaneous malignancies. Treatment algorithms are not well-established for infants less than 6 months of age, but surgery remains a critical component of most therapeutic approaches.

Case presentation
In this case report, we present a rare instance of a congenital massive xanthoastrocytoma occupying the left frontal lobe in a 28-day-old neonate. Additionally, the tumor’s microscopic excision was completed. Following total surgical resection, a favorable outcome was obtained without the need for adjuvant chemo or radiotherapy, with follow-up for 2 years.

Conclusion
Brain tumors in infants are quite uncommon, especially ones as large as the one reported in this case. Adjuvant therapy is not always necessary to produce a satisfactory outcome after gross complete surgical resection.

Keywords