Frontal lobe intra-axial schwannoma harboring a CHD7::VGLL3 fusion and heterozygous TSC2 p.F1510del mutation in a young child

Mol Biol Rep. 2025 Jan 10;52(1):112. doi: 10.1007/s11033-024-10201-8.

Abstract

Background: Brain intraparenchymal schwannoma is a rare clinical entity, generally curable with adequate resection.

Methods and results: We describe a case in a male patient first presenting at 19 months of age, the youngest reported age for this lesion. It also appears to be the first case connected to a germline TSC2 p.1510del mutation in a patient with autism-like symptoms. Although tuberous sclerosis is generally not associated with increased risk of schwannoma, mTORC1 activity, which is inhibited by intact TSC1/TSC2 complex, is involved in schwannoma progression. This patient's tumor also harbored a CHD7::VGLL3 fusion consistent with its genomic DNA methylation classification of CNS Schwannoma, VGLL-fused. The Hippo pathway, mTORC1, and VGLL3 all negatively regulate the YAP1/TEAD cotranscriptional complex. We hypothesize that this schwannoma may have arisen because of increased VGLL3 functional activity from the CHD7::VGLL3 fusion and, perhaps, increased mTORC1 activity due to TSC2 mutation, and their combined effects on the balance between YAP1/TEAD- and VGLL3/TEAD-mediated transcriptional programs.

Conclusions: We present a frontal lobe intra-axial parenchymal schwannoma containing a CHD7::VGLL3 gene fusion presenting in a 19 month-old male, the youngest patient yet reported for this lesion.

Keywords: CHD7::VGLL3 fusion; TSC2 p.F1510del mutation; ADHD; Autism; Brain; Cerebral; Frontal lobe; Intraparenchymal; Learning disability; Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells; Schwannoma; TEAD; TSC2; VGLL3; YAP1.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • DNA Helicases / genetics
  • DNA Helicases / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins* / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins* / metabolism
  • Frontal Lobe / metabolism
  • Frontal Lobe / pathology
  • Heterozygote
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Neurilemmoma* / genetics
  • Neurilemmoma* / pathology
  • Transcription Factors* / genetics
  • Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 2 Protein* / genetics

Substances

  • Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 2 Protein
  • TSC2 protein, human
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • DNA Helicases
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins