Pinealoblastoma with Shunt Metastasis : A

The extracranial metastaisis is an uncommon complication of primary central nervous system(CNS) tumors of childhood. In contrast , leptomeningeal dissemination or multiple tumor recurrence is not a rare even t. Metastatic spread of pediatric CNS tumors occurs most commonly with primitive neuroectodermal tumors(PNET) and malignant gliomas. In general , the incidence rates of extracranial metastases in children with PNET is very low, 0.4% to 6.9% , although some investigators report rates as high as 1 0 % to 20 % (1 -4) Extracranial metastases to the peritoneal cavity are very rare in primary CNS tumors, despite the frequency of ventriculoperitoneal(VP) shunting. They have been recorded occasionally in medulloblastomas (infratentorial PNET)(5).