Cerebellopontine angle tumors in infants and children
Abstract
Cerebellopontine angle (CPA) and cerebellomedullary fissure (CMF) tumors are rare in children and information is scarce in the literature. This retrospective study reports their histological distribution and tumor origin, and describes surgical resections and post-operative outcome based upon the authors' consecutive personal series. Clinical data of infants and children 16 years old or younger of age treated from 2001 to 2012 by a single surgeon was retrospectively reviewed. All had histologically verified CPA/CMF tumors and underwent radical tumor resection through craniotomy except for two children who had a stereotactic biopsy for malignant tumors (glioblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)). Tumors' pathological distributions, tumors' origin, surgical approaches, and patients' outcome were reviewed. There were 44 infants and children with the age at diagnosis ranging from 11 weeks to 16 years; 32 were predominantly in the CPA and/or CMF whereas 12 showed an extension to the fourth ventricle. Pathology showed 14 ependymomas, 12 benign gliomas (11 pilocytic astrocytomas, 1 ganglioglioma), 4 atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs), 4 epidermoids, 3 primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs), 3 meningiomas, 3 nerv...Continue Reading
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