Management of choroid plexus tumours in children: 20 years experience at a single neurosurgical centre

Tumours of the choroid plexus are rare tumours of neuro-ectodermal origin, accounting for less than 1% of all intracranial tumours. Most cases present in children less than 2 years of age. While choroid plexus carcinomas (CPC) are reported to have an extremely poor prognosis, choroid plexus papillomas (CPP) are generally regarded as benign tumours with a very favourable long-term outcome. Management dilemmas are associated with the choice of surgical procedure, tumour vascularity, the treatment of hydrocephalus and the value of adjuvant therapy. The objective of this study was to review our experience with this rare tumour over a 20-year period.

Patients were identified from the Great Ormond Street Neurosurgical Brain Tumour Database. Over a 20-year period (1979-1999), 34 children were identified with a choroid plexus tumour. There were 25 cases of CPP and 9 cases of CPC. A retrospective review of case notes, radiological imaging, operation reports and pathology was performed.

The median age at presentation was 17 months (1-138) for CPP and 13 months (2-102) for CPC. There was no sex difference for CPP. However, 8 of the 9 CPCs were male (89%). A complete surgical resection was achieved in all 25 cases of CPP and in 3 cases of CPC (33%). The median survival for CPPs was 75.5 months (2-228), with a median follow-up of 73.5 months (2-228). The median survival for CPCs was 6 months (1-90), with a median follow-up of 6 months (1-90).

With modern neurosurgical practise, a cure should be the aim for all children with CPP. There is no evidence that adjuvant therapy has any role in the primary management of these children. However, CPC still has an extremely poor prognosis, and the efficacy of adjuvant therapy remains to be established.