Related Experiment Videos
Paediatric meningeal tumours
C L Mallucci1, S E Parkes, P Barber
1Department of Neurosurgery, Birmingham Children's Hospital, UK.
Insights
Pediatric meningeal tumors are rare, with meningiomas being more common than malignant types. Complete surgical excision and early diagnosis are crucial for better outcomes in children with these central nervous system tumors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neurosurgery
- Neuropathology
Background:
- Meningeal tumors are rare in children, comprising 1.62% of all central nervous system (CNS) tumors.
- This review focuses on meningeal tumors in patients under 16 years treated between 1957 and 1993.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the experience with meningeal tumors in pediatric patients.
- To analyze the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of meningiomas and malignant meningeal tumors in children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of pediatric patients diagnosed with meningeal tumors.
- Analysis of tumor location, surgical intervention, and patient survival data.
Main Results:
- 16 cases of meningiomas (median age 12) and 5 of malignant meningeal tumors (median age 3) were identified.
- Malignant tumors had a poor prognosis (median survival 5 months).
- Supratentorial origin and intraventricular location were common; female preponderance seen in adults was not observed in children.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric meningeal tumors, particularly meningiomas, often present as supratentorial and intraventricular lesions.
- Incomplete surgical excision and presenting neurological deficits are associated with poor outcomes.
- Aggressive management and complete resection are vital for improving survival in pediatric meningeal tumors.
Abstract:
We review our experience of meningeal tumours in patients under 16 years who were treated between 1957 and 1993. These were 16 with meningiomas (median age 12 years) and 5 with poorly differentiated malignant meningeal tumours (median age 3 years). The incidence of meningeal tumours in this period was 1.62% of all CNS tumours. There were 19 supratentorial tumours (5 intraventricular), 1 tentorial and 1 cervical. Surgical excision was complete in 12 patients and incomplete in 6; in 2 patients a biopsy only was undertaken. The remaining patient had radiological diagnosis only. All 5 patients in the group with malignant poorly differentiated tumours died (median survival 5 months), confirming the aggressive nature of these lesions. Of the 16 patients with meningiomas, 4 died during followup but 11 of the 12 meningioma patients remaining alive had complete resections. There is a strong tendency for paediatric meningeal tumours to have a supratentorial origin and intraventricular location. The female preponderance found in adults is not evident in children. Incomplete surgical excision or focal neurological deficit at presentation was associated with poor outcome.