Zusammenfassung der Ressource
brain
tumours
- in
kids
(vs
adults)
- almost always 1ry
- 60% are infratentorial
- commonest & solid tumour in kids
- leading cause of childhood Ca deaths in UK
- types
- astrocytoma (~40% of cases)
- vary from benign to highly
malignant (glioblastoma
multiforme)
- Mx- surgery, radiotherapy +/- chemo
- but prognosis poor (<30% survival) @ cerebral
site
- in cerebellum, slow growing & cystic
- good prognosis post surgery
- medulloblastoma (~20%)
- arises in
midline
of post
fossa
- may seed
through CNS
via CSF
- up to 20% have
spinal mets @
diag
- Mx-surgery, chemo, radiotherapy
- prognosis- survival rates improving- 5 year survival about 50%
- ependymoma (~8%)
- mostly in
post fossa
- behaves like medulloblastoma
- brainstem
glioma
(6%)
- not for biopsy- too risky
- very poor prognosis (<10% survival)
- craniopharyngioma (4%)
- developmental
tumour arising from
squamous remnant
of Rathke pouch
- not truly
malignant but
locally invasive
& grows slows
in suprasellar
region
- Mx-
surgical
excision +/-
radiotherapy
- prog- good
survival but risk
of long term
visual imp &
lifelong pituitary
insuff
- clinical features
- location of tumours
- supratentorial
- cortex
- diag- astrocytoma
- commonly in
cerebral
hemispheres,
thalamus &
hypothalamus
- seizures
- hemiplegia
- focal
neurological
signs
- typical hx
- 14 year old,
aggressive
behaviour @
school, headaches,
seizure
- midline
- diag- craniopharyngioma
- visual field
loss-
bitemporal
hemianopia
- pituitary failure
- growth failure
- diabetes insipidus
- weight gain
- typical
hx
- 10 year old, c/o
headaches,
vomiting, poor
growth, hard to
see board @
school
- infratentorial
- cerebellar (& 4th ventricle)
- diag
- medulloblastoma
- ependymoma
- astrocytoma
- abnormal eye
movements
- truncal ataxia
- coordination difficulties
- typical hx
- 3 year old vomiting in
morning, unsteady on
feet, new onset
convergent squint
- brainstem
- diag
- brainstem glioma
- cranial
nerve
defects
- pyramidal
tract
signs
- cerebellar
signs-
ataxia
- often no raised ICP
- typical hx
- 4 year old, refuses to walk, unable
to climb stairs, squint, facial
asymmetry & drooling
- spinal cord
- diag
- astrocytoma
- ependymoma
- primary or mets
(depends on
level of lesion)
- back pain
- peripheral weakness of arms or legs
- bladder/bowel dysfunction
- raised intracranial Pa
- kids & teens
- headaches-worse in morning
- vomiting- esp on
waking in morning
- behaviour/personality
change
- visual disturbance
- papilloedema
- infants
- vomiting
- separation of sutures/tense fontanelle
- head tilt/posturing
- developmental delay/regression
- increased head circumference
- Ix
- MRI
- best for characterising brain tumours
- magnetic resonance spectroscopy
- to examine
biological activity
of tumour
- lumbar puncture
- not to be done w/o neurosurg advice if any ?raised ICP
- Mx
- surgery
- usually 1st Rx
- aims
- treating hydrocephalus
- providing tissue diagnosis
- attempting max resection
- anatomical
location may
mean tumour
can't be
biopsied
- brainstem tumours
- even histologically
'benign' tumours
can be challenging
to survival
- use of radiotherapy +/- chemo varies w/ tumour type & pt age
- late effects
- risks of
- neurodisability
- growth, endocrine, neuropsychological, educational probs