Cerebellar astrocytoma invading the musculature and soft tissues of the neck

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Abstract
A case of cerebellar astrocytoma with unusual growth pattern in an 8-year-old boy is reported. The tumor had some histological hallmarks of malignancy (focally high cellularity, mitotic figures, necroses, and calcifications) and, 17 months after subtotal removal, recurred as a nuchal mass in the area of the incision, infiltrating first the skeletal musculature and later other soft tissues of the neck, including lymph nodes. Although cerebellar astrocytomas may recur locally and some may even seed through the cerebrospinal fluid, this is the first reported case of a tumor of this group to infiltrate skeletal muscle and other soft tissues of the neck. The patient underwent five operations to relieve the cervical organs from pressure.