Surgical decision-making in the management of childhood tumors of the CNS disseminated at presentation

Posterior Fossa Tumours in the First Year of Life: A Two-Centre Retrospective Study

Posterior fossa tumours (PFTs) in infants are very rare, and information on these tumours is scarce in the literature. This retrospective study reports their pathological characteristics and describes surgical aspects and treatment outcomes. A two-centre cohort of infants with PFTs treated from 2007 to 2018 was retrospectively reviewed. Patient characteristics, clinical, and treatment data were reviewed. Survival curves for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were generated. Thirty-three infants were retrieved. There were 11 low grade and 22 high-grade tumours. The most common presenting symptom was intracranial hypertension. Fifteen children out of thirty-three progressed. Five-year PFS was significantly lower in children with high-grade tumours (38.3%) than those with low-grade tumours (69.3%), p = 0.030. High-grade pathology was the only predictor of progression (HR 3.7, 95% CI 1.1–13.31), p = 0.045. Fourteen children with high-grade tumours died, with a 5-year OS of 55.25%. PFTs in children below one year of age still represent a unique challenge. Infants with high-grade tumours display the worst outcomes and the lowest survival, indicating that more effective strategies are needed.

Tumor-related hydrocephalus in infants: a narrative review

Primary brain tumors diagnosed during infancy present several challenges for the pediatric neurosurgeon including the management of tumor-related hydrocephalus. Infant tumor-related hydrocephalus (iTRH) is present in over 70% of new diagnoses overall and in over 90% of infants with infratentorial neoplasms. iTRH may be related to direct obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathways, shedding of protein and/or cells leading to dysfunctional subarachnoid, tumor-related CSF production, or, most frequently, a combination of these mechanisms. Treatment plans must consider the acuity of presentation, the mechanism of iTRH, and the additional neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapies required to treat the neoplasm. This narrative review provides a broad reference on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of iTRH.

Outcomes in children with central nervous system tumors disseminated at presentation: a large single-center experience

PURPOSE

Children with disseminated central nervous system (CNS) tumors have worse outcomes than those with solitary disease, but outcomes of disease dissemination at initial presentation have not been systematically studied and compared across tumor groups to date. We evaluated the impact of tumor dissemination at presentation on management and clinical outcomes in a cohort of consecutively treated children in a single neurosurgical unit over a 14-year period.

METHODS

Method used was a retrospective review of data on children presenting to Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK, with medulloblastoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor, pilocytic astrocytoma, and ependymoma between 2003 and 2016 inclusive. Uni- and multi-variate analyses were performed to evaluate a range of outcome measures.

RESULTS

Three-hundred sixty-one children were identified in total, 53 with disease dissemination at presentation (M:F = 34:19, median age = 3.8 years, range = 7 days-15.6 years) and 308 with solitary tumors (M:F = 161:147, median age = 5.8 years, range = 1 day-16.9 years). Median follow-up was similar irrespective of dissemination status (disseminated tumor 64.0 months, range = 5.2-152.0 months; solitary tumor 74.5 months, range = 4.7-170.1 months; P > 0.05). In multivariate analyses, tumor type and dissemination status at presentation were significantly associated with overall survival (P < 0.0001), risk of recurrence/disease progression (P < 0.01), and event-free survival (P < 0.0001). Subtotal resection was associated with shorter time to recurrence/disease progression (P < 0.01) and worse event-free (P < 0.0001) but not overall survival, whereas treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy were associated with improved overall (Ps < 0.0001) and event-free survival (Ps < 0.05). Differences between tumor groups were evident.

CONCLUSIONS

Dissemination status at initial presentation significantly affects outcomes in children with CNS tumors.