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Oligodendroglioma in childhood
1Department of Neurosurgery and Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
Insights
Pediatric oligodendrogliomas (ODG) are rare, accounting for 5.6% of childhood brain tumors. Anaplastic or CSF-positive ODG indicates a poor prognosis, while benign cerebral hemisphere ODG often presents with seizures.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Neuro-oncology
- Pediatric Pathology
Background:
- Oligodendroglioma (ODG) is a primary brain tumor that can occur in children.
- Understanding the incidence, location, and prognosis of pediatric ODG is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the proportion of oligodendrogliomas among pediatric primary intracranial tumors.
- To analyze the anatomical locations of pediatric oligodendrogliomas.
- To evaluate the prognostic significance of histological grading in childhood oligodendrogliomas.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 15 surgically confirmed pediatric oligodendroglioma cases.
- Data collected from January 1985 to April 1992 at Seoul National University Children's Hospital.
- Inclusion criteria: patients under 16 years old with oligodendroglioma.
Main Results:
- Oligodendrogliomas constituted 5.6% of pediatric primary intracranial tumors operated on during the study period.
- Tumor locations included cerebral hemispheres (9 cases), thalamus (1), pons-medulla (2), cerebellum (2), and thoracolumbar spinal cord (1).
- Four tumors were anaplastic, and one showed positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology; both correlated with poor outcomes. Benign cerebral hemisphere ODG (7 cases) presented with seizures, often controlled post-surgery.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric oligodendrogliomas are uncommon and exhibit diverse locations.
- Histological grade and CSF cytology are significant prognostic indicators in childhood oligodendroglioma.
- Surgical removal of benign cerebral oligodendrogliomas in the cerebral hemispheres can lead to seizure control.
Abstract:
Fifteen pediatric (age under 16) cases of oligodendroglioma (ODG) were surgically proven from January 1985 to April 1992 at the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Children's Hospital. To observe the proportion of ODG's in primary intracranial tumors, the location of ODG's and the prognostic significance of the histological grading of ODG's in childhood, the 15 cases of pediatric ODG's were retrospectively analyzed. ODG's accounted for 5.6% of pediatric primary intracranial tumors operated on during the same period. Nine tumors were located in the cerebral hemisphere (3 cases each in the frontal, temporal and parietooccipital lobes), 1 in the thalamus, 2 in the pons-medulla, 2 in the cerebellum and 1 in the thoracolumbar spinal cord. Four tumors were anaplastic and an additional case showed positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology for tumor cells. All the cases of anaplasia or positive CSF cytology had a poor outcome. All the seven cases of benign ODG's in cerebral hemispheres presented with seizures which were controlled with or without medication after tumor removal.