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Papangelopoulou D, Bison B, Behrens L, Bailey S, Ansari M, Ehlert K, Martinez OC, Kramm CM, Morales La Madrid A, von Bueren AO. Brain stem tumors in children less than 3 months: Clinical and radiologic findings of a rare disease. Childs Nerv Syst 2024; 40:1053-1064. [PMID: 38376530 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-023-06272-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Brain stem tumors in children < 3 months at diagnosis are extremely rare. Our aim is to study a retrospective cohort to improve the understanding of the disease course and guide patient management. METHODS This is a multicenter retrospective analysis across the European Society for Pediatric Oncology SIOP-E HGG/DIPG Working Group linked centers, including patients with a brainstem tumor diagnosed between 2009 and 2020 and aged < 3 months at diagnosis. Clinical data were collected, and imaging characteristics were analyzed blindly and independently by two neuroradiologists. RESULTS Five cases were identified. No patient received any therapy. The epicenter of two tumors was in the medulla oblongata alone and in the medulla oblongata and the pons in three. For patients with tumor in equal parts in the medulla oblongata and the pons (n = 3), the extension at diagnosis involved the spinal cord; for the two patients with the tumor epicenter in the medulla oblongata alone (n = 2), the extension at diagnosis included the pons (n = 2) and the spinal cord (n = 1). Biopsy was performed in one patient identifying a pilocytic astrocytoma. Two patients died. In one patient, autopsy revealed a high-grade glioma (case 3). Three survivors showed either spontaneous tumor regression (n = 2) or stable disease (n = 1). Survivors were followed up for 10, 7, and 0.6 years, respectively. One case had the typical imaging characteristics of a dorsal exophytic low-grade glioma. CONCLUSIONS No patient fulfilled the radiologic criteria defining a high-grade glioma. Central neuroradiological review and biopsy may provide useful information regarding the patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danai Papangelopoulou
- Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of General Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Cansearch Research Platform for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Brigitte Bison
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Lars Behrens
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Simon Bailey
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Marc Ansari
- Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of General Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Cansearch Research Platform for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karoline Ehlert
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Christof M Kramm
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | | | - Andre O von Bueren
- Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of General Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Cansearch Research Platform for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Osborne D, Richardson-May J, Bush K, Evans M, West SK, May K, Self J. Four cases of acute comitant esotropia associated with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in children. Strabismus 2022; 31:26-30. [PMID: 36529745 DOI: 10.1080/09273972.2022.2143823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute acquired concomitant esotropia (AACE) is usually a benign form of strabismus that infrequently is associated with intracranial pathology. Clinicians have noted an increase in its incidence and theorize that it may be related to public health "lockdown" measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With an increased incidence of AACE clinicians must firstly differentiate AACE from common accommodative esotropia and secondly recognize AACE as a possible sign of serious neuropathology.Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a devastating diagnosis for affected families. Children typically present at age 6-7 years with cranial nerve palsies, long tract signs, and/or cerebellar signs. Diagnosis is made from characteristic findings on magnetic resonance brain imaging (MRI brain) and treatment includes radiotherapy and palliative care. Two years from diagnosis, 90% of affected children will have died from their disease. CASE SERIES We present four cases that attended our pediatric ophthalmology clinic with AACE either as a presenting sign of DIPG or as a clinical finding following a DIPG diagnosis. Patient A (age 5 years) presented to the emergency eye clinic with sudden onset diplopia and intermittent esotropia. Suppression later developed, they had 0.00 logMAR visual acuity either eye, and bilateral physiological hypermetropia. MRI brain imaging requested as a result of the unusual presentation led to the DIPG diagnosis. The other 3 cases (ages 11, 5 & 5 years) were assessed post DIPG diagnosis and found to have an esotropia measuring bigger on 1/3-meter fixation than 6-meter fixation, full ocular motility, physiological hypermetropia or emmetropia, and visual acuity normal for age. Other than patient B (age 11 years), who had papilledema and gaze evoked nystagmus when they were assessed 2 weeks prior to death, no patient had any other clinical eye findings. CONCLUSIONS This small series of 4 patients attending our clinic within a 12-month period supports the notion that children presenting with AACE should routinely be offered brain MRI. Not all children with DIPG-associated AACE have significant ophthalmic findings indicative of intracranial pathology. With the potential for increased incidence of AACE related to lockdowns, clinicians should be reminded of the infrequent possibility their patient has a more serious condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Osborne
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Southampton and University of Southampton, Hampshire
| | - J Richardson-May
- Ophthalmic Specialty Training Registrar year 4, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Southampton, Hampshire
| | - K Bush
- Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust, Hampshire
| | - M Evans
- Orthoptist, University Hospital Southampton, Hampshire
| | - SK West
- Consultant ophthalmologist, University Hospital Southampton, Hampshire
| | - K May
- Consultant Ophthalmologist, University Hospital Southampton and University of Southampton, Hampshire
| | - J Self
- Consultant Ophthalmologist, University Hospital Southampton and University of Southampton, Hampshire
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Wang AYD, Wong TT, Hsieh KLC, Tsai ML, Yang C. Giant cystic hypothalamic hamartoma in an infant associated with persistent syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. Childs Nerv Syst 2022; 38:1593-1597. [PMID: 35048169 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-021-05439-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A giant hypothalamic hamartoma (GHH) is a rare congenital malformation only reported in a few cases in the literature and is often associated with precocious puberty, gelastic seizures, or less commonly, Pallister-Hall syndrome. Persistent syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is very rare in infancy, and most patients with GHH do not develop persistent SIADH, usually only transient electrolyte disturbances postoperatively. Previous cases of GHH have not been associated with persistent derangements in antidiuretic hormone levels. CASE DESCRIPTION A 7-month-old male infant presented to our hospital with a history of an intracranial cystic lesion diagnosed at 23 weeks gestational age (GA), later impressed as a solid-cystic mass at 37 weeks GA by ultrasound prenatally. Postnatal MRI after birth showed a large mass with a dorsal cyst occupying the hypothalamus, causing hydrocephalus and brainstem compression. The patient started to have subtle seizures on the seventh day after birth and eventually developed dacrystic seizures. Hyponatremia with persistent SIADH was observed at 3 months of age before surgery. He received long-term oral sodium supplementation, polytherapy of anti-epileptic medications, ventriculocystostomy for progressive enlargement of the cystic cavity, and later surgical treatment for disconnection and partial resection which confirmed a histological diagnosis of hypothalamic hamartoma. CONCLUSION In this case study, we present a novel association of GHH with persistent SIADH and a rare presentation of a cystic component at the dorsal part of the tumor. Clinicians should be aware of this potential endocrine derangement and provide emergent treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tai-Tong Wong
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kevin Li-Chun Hsieh
- Department of Medical Imaging, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Lan Tsai
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, 252 Wuxing St, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan. .,Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Chen Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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