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Medulloblastoma is a highly malignant primary brain tumor that originates in the cerebellum or posterior fossa.
Originally considered to be a glioma, medulloblastoma is now known to be of the family of cranial primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET).[1]
Tumors that originate in the cerebellum are referred to as infratentorial because they occur below the tentorium, a thick membrane that separates the cerebral hemispheres of the brain from the cerebellum. Another term for medulloblastoma is infratentorial PNET. Medulloblastoma is the most common PNET originating in the brain.[2]
All PNET tumors of the brain are invasive and rapidly growing tumors that, unlike most brain tumors, spread through the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and frequently metastasize to different locations in the brain and spine.
Brain tumors are the second most common malignancy among children less than 20 years of age. Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor, comprising 14.5% of newly diagnosed cases.[3] In adults, medulloblastoma is rare, comprising less than 2% of CNS malignancies.[4]
The incidence of childhood medulloblastoma is higher in males (62%) than females (38%). [5] Medulloblastoma and other PNET tumors are more prevalent in younger children than older children. 40% of medulloblastoma patients are diagnosed before the age of 5, 31% are between the ages of 5 and 9, 18.3% are between the ages of 10 and 14, and 12.7% are between the ages of 15 and 19. [6]
Medulloblastomas usually form in the fourth ventricle, between the brainstem and the cerebellum. Tumors with similar appearance and characteristics originate in other parts of the brain, but they are not identical to medulloblastoma. [7]
Although it is thought that medulloblastomas originate from immature or embryonal cells at their earliest stage of development, the exact cell of origin, or “medulloblast” has yet to be identified.[citation needed]
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