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Brainstem Gliomas

  • Chapter
Pediatric CNS Tumors

Part of the book series: Pediatric Oncology ((PEDIATRICO))

Abstract

Historically, brainstem gliomas (BSGs) were regarded as a homogeneous category of central nervous system neoplasms with a uniformly poor prognosis. With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), BSGs are now recognized as a heterogeneous group of neoplasms with distinct subtypes that vary widely with respect to prognosis and growth patterns. They can be classified broadly into two categories: the diffuse intrinsic gliomas and the nondiffuse brainstem tumors (Table 3.1). The diffuse intrinsic gliomas, which constitute the majority of brainstem tumors and conform to the stereotype of BSGs, occur most often in the pons, infiltrate throughout the brainstem, and have a uniformly poor prognosis. The nondiffuse brainstem tumors include focal midbrain, dorsally exophytic, and cervicomedullary tumors. Almost all of these tumors are slow-growing, low-grade neoplasms that have a more favorable prognosis and response to treatment (specifically surgery) than the diffuse intrinsic gliomas. The management plan for these tumors is individualized to each distinct brain-stem tumor type and is based strongly upon their MRI characteristics and clinical presentations. It should be appreciated that other tumors and non-tumor conditions such as brain abscess, neuroepithelial cyst, and inflammatory conditions can also present with lesions in the brainstem, but these entities are exceptionally rare and will not be discussed further.

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Authors
  1. E. Pan
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  2. M. Prados
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Departments of Neurological Surgery and Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, USA

    Nalin Gupta MD, PhD (Assistant Professor, Chief) (Assistant Professor, Chief)

  2. Division of Neuro-Oncology, Departments of Neurological Surgery and Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, USA

    Anuradha Banerjee MD, MPH (Assistant Professor) (Assistant Professor)

  3. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, USA

    Daphne Haas-Kogan MD (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

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© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Pan, E., Prados, M. (2004). Brainstem Gliomas. In: Gupta, N., Banerjee, A., Haas-Kogan, D. (eds) Pediatric CNS Tumors. Pediatric Oncology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-09227-9_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-09227-9_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-05554-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-09227-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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