Are patients with encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis at increased risk of developing low-grade gliomas?

INTRODUCTION

Cancer-prone genetic disorders are responsible for brain tumors in a considerable proportion of children. Additionally, rare genetic syndromes associated to cancer development may potentially disclose genetic mechanisms related to oncogenesis.

METHOD: We describe two pediatric patients with encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis (ECCL), a very rare genetic syndrome with around 60 reported cases, which developed low-grade astrocytoma at 3 and 12 years of age.

RESULTS

Patients with ECCL seem to be at risk of benign forms of osseous tumors such as ossifying fibromas, odontomas, and osteomas.

CONCLUSION

The association between brain tumor and ECCL was previously reported only once, in a pediatric case of a mixed neuronal-glial histology. Whether ECCL may be a genetic condition of predisposing brain tumor in children strongly needs to be addressed.