Congenital glioblastoma multiforme - Prenatal diagnosis on the basis of sonography and magnetic resonance imaging

Congenital intracranial neoplasms are quite rare, accounting for 0.5% to 1. 5% of all pediatric central nervous system tumors,(1) with glioblastomas ac counting for 14.6% of fetal neoplasms.(2) The in utero detection of congeni tal central nervous system neoplasms is typically incidental, found on sono graphy during scanning for an unrelated reason, decreased fetal movement, o r polyhydramnios.(3). There have been at least 13 reports of antenatal dete ction of a glioblastoma in utero.(3-14) We present a case in which the init ial sonographic impression was that of an arteriovenous malformation with m ultifocal hemorrhage versus an intracranial neoplasm and in which subsequen t prenatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allowed a more definitive diagn osis of an aggressive central nervous system tumor.