CONGENITAL malignant gliomas are rare, less than ten having been reported. Some congenital brain tumors have resulted in dystocia due to prenatal hydrocephalus,1 others have been the cause of rapidly progressive neonatal hydrocephalus. Other neurologic signs and symptoms usually are attributed to cerebral anoxia, subdural hematoma, or other damage to the brain following trauma at the time of birth. In our patient the clinical diagnosis was "cerebral anoxia with severe brain damage." The rarity of a medullary tumor producing clinical symptoms that may be correlated with its anatomical location has prompted us to report this case.
Report of a Case
This firstborn full-term male infant was born in another hospital under light general anesthesia. Pregnancy was uncomplicated except for polyhydramnios. Birth weight was 2,480 gm (5 lb 7 ounces). Respiratory difficulty was evident immediately following delivery when he became cyanotic and did not breathe spontaneously. Resuscitation was only