Brainstem glioma after radiation therapy for acute myeloblastic leukemia in a child with Down syndrome. Possible pathogenetic mechanisms.

A 13-year-old boy with Down syndrome (DS) had a brainstem glioma confirmed at autopsy, 10 years after receiving prophylactic cranial irradiation for acute myeloblastic leukemia. There is no clear association of brain tumors with DS; despite a reported link between leukemia and glioma, a causal association with radiation therapy is more likely.