Recurrence of medulloblastoma: violation of Collins' law after two decades.

BACKGROUND

Medulloblastoma is a common tumor of childhood arising in the posterior fossa. The concept of a child with an embryonal tumor surviving the age of diagnosis plus 9 months as the period of risk for recurrence (Collins' Law) has been applied to medulloblastomas. This raises the question of "when should follow-up stop for a patient with this type of tumor?"

METHODS

We present a case report of a patient with the longest documented exception to Collins' Law for medulloblastoma.

RESULTS

The longest documented exception to Collins' Law, a medulloblastoma recurring 20 years and 8 months after the period of risk for recurrence is presented. Both the site of recurrence and the histopathology were identical to the original tumor.

CONCLUSION

We present the longest documented exception to Collins' Law, to emphasize that even after decades the term "cure" should only be used cautiously.