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Long-term survival of an infant with 'anaplastic' astrocytoma
B Connolly1, S I Blaser, R P Humphreys
1Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Insights
Anaplastic astrocytomas are aggressive brain tumors. Early diagnosis and maximal surgical resection in infants can improve survival, though residual tumor may remain.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Pediatric neurosurgery
- Cancer biology
Background:
- Anaplastic astrocytomas represent an intermediate grade of brain tumors between diffuse astrocytomas and glioblastoma multiforme.
- Prognostic factors for anaplastic astrocytoma include degree of anaplasia, extent of surgical resection, and patient age at presentation.
Observation:
- A rare case of anaplastic astrocytoma is presented in a 2-month-old infant.
- The tumor exhibited characteristic anaplastic features such as necrosis, significant nuclear atypia, and high mitotic activity.
Findings:
- The infant underwent subtotal tumor resection.
- Despite the subtotal resection, the child remains alive with radiologically detectable residual tumor.
Implications:
- This case highlights the challenges in managing pediatric anaplastic astrocytomas.
- Aggressive surgical management, even if subtotal, may contribute to prolonged survival in very young patients.
- Further research into optimal treatment strategies for infant anaplastic astrocytomas is warranted.
Abstract:
Anaplastic astrocytomas are intermediate in differentiation between astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme. Survival with anaplastic astrocytoma is favorably affected by extensive anaplasia, maximal resection and presentation in early life. We report a 2-month-old infant who had a tumor of astrocytic lineage with anaplastic features of necrosis, nuclear atypia and mitotic activity. Following subtotal resection the child is alive but has a radiologically visible tumor.