Long term survival with early childhood intracerebral tumours

Three young adults are described who presented during early childhood with a seizure disorder due to an underlying intracerebral tumour. The tumours were excised incompletely 14-19 years later. The histological findings were those of a temporal lobe benign capillary haemangioblastoma (Case 1), parietal lobe subependymoma (Case 2), and parietal lobe ganglioglioma (Case 3). After a mean period of follow-up of 22 years (range 18-26), only mild residual physical disabilities exist in each patient. These three cases illustrate (1) the need promptly to investigate children who present with focal seizures or whose EEG shows definite focal abnormalities, (2) the relevant investigations should include cranial CT or MRI in such cases and (3) that certain supratentorial tumours have a favourable outcome due to their benign biological behaviour rather than their location.