Highly malignant brain cancer - medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma is a highly malignant brain cancer that occurs frequently in children aged 2 to 10 years old, with a male to female ratio of 2:1. Children often experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, difficulty walking, increased head circumference, and cranial suture dehiscence.

1. Clinical manifestations of medulloblastoma

The tumor grows fast and the course of the disease is short. Symptoms in children include vomiting in 82%, headache in 79%, gait instability and ataxia in 56%, diplopia in 34%, and visual impairment in 27%. When the tumor invades the brainstem, cranial nerve symptoms and pyramidal tract damage may also occur, as well as forced head position and neck resistance.

2. Pathological manifestations of medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma is soft and friable, with slightly recognizable borders and gray-red cut surfaces. Larger tumors often have central necrosis. The vast majority of tumors are located in the cerebellar vermis, protruding into the fourth ventricle and often invading the floor of the fourth ventricle. From the fourth ventricle, the tumor blocks the aqueduct and the outlet of the fourth ventricle, causing hydrocephalus. The tumor can metastasize to the spinal canal and the surface of the brain, or spread along the ventricles to the floor of the third ventricle. The pia mater adjacent to the tumor is often infiltrated, forming a layer of milky white gelatinous tissue on the surface of the brain.