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Journal of Neurosurgery
 
Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine
 
Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics
 
Neurosurgical Focus

Primary Ewing sarcoma of the tentorium presenting with intracranial hemorrhage in a child
Case report and review of the literature

Ramon Navarro, M.D.1, Astrid Laguna, M.D.2, Carmen de Torres, M.D., Ph.D.2, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, M.D., Ph.D.3, Mariona Suñol, M.D.4, Ofelia Cruz, M.D., Ph.D.2, and Jaume Mora, M.D., Ph.D.2
1Departments of Neurosurgery, 2Oncology; and 4Pathology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona; and 3Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, Madrid, Spain

Abbreviations used in this paper: CT = computed tomography; ESFT = Ewing sarcoma family of tumors; MR = magnetic resonance; PNET = primitive neuroectodermal tumor.

Address correspondence to: Ramon Navarro, M.D., Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Passeig Sant Joan de Déu, 2, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. email: .

DOI: 10.3171/PED-07/11/411

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in children is usually related to cerebrovascular conditions. Brain tumors presenting with spontaneous bleeding account for approximately 10% of intracranial hemorrhages in children. The occurrence of primitive central nervous system lesions in the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) not related to bone or metastatic disease is a rare condition. The authors report on a child who presented with intracranial bleeding secondary to a nonmetastatic tentorial ESFT confirmed by detection of the fusion gene EWS-ERG. A detailed review of the literature reveals that most primary intracranial ESFT had a meningeal attachment, and that almost half of them presented at diagnosis with hemorrhage. Distinguishing between ESFT and other intracranial neoplasms is essential because the treatment and prognosis differ remarkably from that of other tumors, namely central primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs). Whereas adjuvant treatment for ESFT consists of local or regional radiotherapy and chemotherapy containing alkylating agents, central PNETs are generally treated with whole neuraxis radiation and platinum-based chemotherapy. Additionally, the prognosis for intracranial ESFT might be better than the one for nonpineal central PNETs.

KEYWORDS:brain neoplasm; Ewing sarcoma; intracranial hemorrhage; molecular analysis; pediatric neurosurgery.

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