Gliomatosis Cerebri in a Newborn

A newborn is reported with diffuse gliomatosis involving the cerebral hemispheres, the brainstem and the cerebellum. The presenting signs were paucity of spontaneous movements except for multifocal clonic seizures, absent response to sensory stimuli and optic atrophy. A CT scan suggested agyria. The child expired on the seventh day. Autopsy disclosed diffuse gliomatosis affecting both cerebral hemispheres, the brainstem and the whole cerebellum, but excluding the spinal cord. Neuronal loss was unusually severe in all the affected areas. The genitals were ambiguous, an association not explained by the cerebral pathology. The karyotype was 46XY (male pseudohermaphroditism). This is probably the first reported instance of gliomatosis cerebri in a newborn.