Neuroimaging of thalamic tumors in children.
BACKGROUND
Thalamic tumors are typical deep brain tumors; their incidence is not precisely known because of the different definition criteria. However, taking only lesions arising in the thalami into consideration (and excluding those secondarily involving the thalami from adjacent structures) approximately 40% of thalamic tumors affect patients under 18 years of age and thalamic neoplasms account for 2-5% of all intracranial tumors in children.


METHODS
In the present paper we have focused attention on the neuroimaging features of thalamic tumors in a pediatric population; based upon personal experience, we suggest a rational neuroradiological approach to the diagnostic evaluation, describe CT and MRI findings of the most common tumors, and attempt to define basic patterns in order to provide the most reliable "pathological" diagnosis.
Colosimo
Cesare
C
Neuroradiology Section, Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technology, Department of Clincial Sciences and Bio-Imaging, University of G. d'Annunzio, Chieti Scalo, Italy. colosimo@radiol.unich.it
di Lella
Giuseppe Maria
GM
Tartaglione
Tommaso
T
Riccardi
Riccardo
R
D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D018237:Germinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013788:Thalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed