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Brain tumor in the first year of life: a single institute study
1Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Korea.
Insights
Infantile brain tumors pose unique challenges. Outcomes are poorer for certain tumors like medulloblastoma, emphasizing the critical role of surgical removal in infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neuro-oncology
- Infant Health
Background:
- Brain tumors in infants present significant diagnostic and therapeutic hurdles.
- Early-life brain tumors require specialized management approaches due to developmental factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze clinical features, pathological classifications, and treatment outcomes of brain tumors in infants.
- To identify factors influencing prognosis in pediatric brain tumor patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 458 children (age < 16) with brain tumors.
- Specific focus on 21 cases diagnosed within the first year of life.
Main Results:
- Infantile brain tumors often present with increased intracranial pressure.
- Poorer outcomes observed in medulloblastoma and optic pathway glioma compared to older children.
- Radical surgical removal is crucial due to limited adjuvant therapy options in infants.
Conclusions:
- Management of infantile brain tumors is complex due to brain immaturity, tumor aggressiveness, and parental attitudes.
- Prognosis is heavily influenced by tumor malignancy and the extent of surgical resection.
Abstract:
Brain tumors in infants present special diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. To figure out the clinical features, pathological classification of the tumors and the treatment outcome of infantile brain tumors, 458 children (age<16) with brain tumors were reviewed retrospectively. Among them 21 cases (4.6%) were diagnosed during the first 12 months of life. Two tumors were definitely of congenital origin. The majority of infants with brain tumors presented with increased intracranial pressure. Fourteen tumors were located at the supratentorial area. Sixteen cases had neuroepithelial tumors; astrocytoma (optic pathway), supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) and medulloblastoma were found in three cases each. There were two treatment-related mortalities. Compared with the outcomes in older children, the treatment outcome was poorer in medulloblastoma and the optic pathway glioma which showed a higher growth potential. Because of the limited application of postoperative adjuvant therapy, radical surgical removal played a more important role in this age group. The prognosis of patients in whom the tumors could not be totally removed, largely depended on the pathological malignancy of the tumors. Though the treatment outcome was not always dismal, immaturity of the brain, higher growth potential, perioperative risks, limitations in adjuvant therapy, and pessimistic attitude on the part of parents made management more challenging.