Aggressive Infantile Embryonal Tumors

Embryonal tumors are the most common brain tumors ill infants less than 36 months. Histologically, characterized as undifferentiated small. round cell tumors with divergent patterns of differentiation, these include medulloblastoma, the most common form of embryonal tumor, as well LIS supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor, medulloepithelioma, ependymoblastoma, medullomyoblastoma, melanotic medulloblastoma, and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor. All are similarly aggressive and have a tendency to disseminate throughout the central nervous system. Because, of efforts to avoid craniospirial irradiation in an attempt to lessen treatment-related neurotoxicity, management of these tumors inn infants is unique. Outcomes remain similarly poor among, all the tumor types and, therefore, identification of specific molecular targets that have prognostic and therapeutic implications is crucial. The molecular and clinical aspects of the 3 most common aggressive infantile embryonal tumors, medulloblastoma, supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor, and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid are the focus of this review.