Extracerebral neural tissue mass in the middle cranial fossa extending into the oropharynx in a neonate

Abstract

The authors report the case of a newborn baby girl who had a large extracerebral neural tissue mass in the right middle cranial fossa which extended into the oropharynx through an enlarged foramen ovale. The surgical specimen comprised various kinds of neural tissue, including primitive neuroepithelium, mature as well as immature neurons and glia, myelinated fibers, ependyma, choroid plexus, ocular pigmented epithelium, and a number of calcospherites. The mass was partially covered by its own leptomeninges. The question of whether this mass is a true neoplasm or a heterotopia is discussed.