Congenital Conditions
Mutations at the genetical level can cause certain congenital disorders. These conditions may cause brain tumours as well as other disorders.
- Teratomas:
This type of brain tumour is more common than astrocytoma in babies. The tumor may appear benign at first but it must be removed in order to prevent malignancy. This type of tumor is caused by cells that are formed during fetal development. These cells can then differentiate into different types of cells.
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome:
This syndrome can lead to many different types of cancers ranging from skin and soft tissue to brain, bone, and blood. This syndrome, as discussed above is caused by an inherited mutation of the TP53. This is the most common of all the tumor suppressor gene mutations. The mutation causes the cellular divisions to be released from all control mechanisms and regulates, resulting in rapid proliferation.
- Neurofibromatosis:
Patients with this genetic disorder may also suffer from tumors of the central nervous systems. In a study of children, 15 children with neurofibromatosis had brain tumors at some stage of their lives, most commonly optic gliomas.
- Turcot syndrome:
This syndrome, which causes polyps to form in the intestines, can also lead to brain tumours. The two most common brain tumors include medulloblastomas, and glioblastomas. The underlying pathology for medulloblastoma involves a mutation of the APC gene. For glioblastoma, it is a mutation of the MMR gene.
Tuberous sclerosis and Von Hippel-Lindau are two other genetic diseases that can lead to brain tumours.
