title: Neurosurgical management of cerebral astrocytomas in children.
abstract: A study of astrocytomas occurring in children (mean age 9.13 years) is reported. Two hundred sixty-one cases operated within 10 years (1986-1995) were reviewed. The subtentorial localization was preponderant and was seen in 145 cases (55.04%). The pathological results for supratentorial astrocytomas show an important number of high-grade, malignant astrocytomas--74 cases (64.3%). Surgery was the most important aspect of the treatment. The microscopic tumoral removal was total in 201 cases (77%), subtotal in 37 cases (14.2%); bioptic sampling was done in only 23 cases (8.8%). In grade III and IV astrocytomas, radiotherapy (high-voltage) and chemotherapy were routinely used. The patients were followed-up, both clinically and by CT, between 6 months and 10 years. Neurological evaluation (6 months post-operative) shows a preponderance of minimal sequelae (71%). Clinical signs of recurrences occurred in 56 cases (21.45%). In 37 cases (66.07%), a surgical indication was retained. Cumulative probability of survival of children with intracranial astrocytomas at 1 year was 0.714 and at 5 years was 0.655.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurosurgery Department, Neurosurgical Clinic Prof. Dr. D. Bagdasar Hospital, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ciurea
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vasilescu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nuteanu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Silveanu-Vladu
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Teodorescu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lisievici
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000601:surgery*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male