PRENATAL ULTRASONOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF FETAL INTRACRANIAL TUMORS - A REVIEW

Our objective was to review current literature pertaining to prenatal ultrasonography of various fetal intracranial neoplastic and non-neopl astic tumors. To this goal, all manuscripts published in the English l anguage regarding this topic obtained from a MEDLINE search from 1966 through January 1998 were selected and reviewed. Additional sources we re identified through cross-referencing. Intracranial fetal tumors are extremely rare and precise diagnosis is dependent on histology examin ation of tissue obtained at subsequent surgery or autopsy. Currently, prenatal ultrasonographic findings associated with the following fetal intracranial tumors have been described: teratomas; neuroepithelial t umors including: glioblastoma, astrocytoma, gangliocytoma, medulloblas toma, choroid plexus, and papilloma; and mesenchymal tumors. Non-neopl astic fetal intracranial tumors are even less frequent and include: un ilateral megalencephaly, heterotopia, and lipoma of the corpus callosu m. Cardinal ultrasonographic findings associated with fetal intracrani al tumors include: echogenic and semicystic space occupying lesions wi th or without distortion of normal symmetrical intracranial (usually m idline) structures, calcifications, craniomegaly, polyhydramnios, obst ructive hydrocephaly, high-output cardiac failure (hydrops fetalis), t he presence of other associated structural anomalies, and infrequently abnormal cerebral Doppler flow velocimetry.