title: [Surgical management of brain-stem gliomas: a retrospective analysis of 311 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To further study the clinical features, diagnosis, and surgery outcome of brain-stem gliomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 311 patients with brain-stem gliomas received surgery operations in our hospital from 1980 to the end of 2001. The clinical data, neuroimages, growth patterns, and operative feasibility were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Different brain-stem gliomas showed different growth patterns. In this series, total excision rate of the tumor was 40.5%, subtotal 29.9%, partial 29.6%, and operative mortality 1.3%. Among 311 patients, 72.4% patients had been improved and stable in their symptoms after operation, and 27.6% deteriorated or having transitory new signs. Five years survival rate is 67% in ependymoma patients, 42% in astrocytoma patients. None of brain-stem glioblastoma patients survived up to 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The histology and growth pattern of brainstem gliomas varies. The patients with well-differentiated gliomas of brain-stem may be cured by microsurgical removal. For malignant ones, partial removal may prolong survival and facilitate the following combined therapy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Chung-cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun-ting
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: A-li
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D020295:Brain Stem Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000601:surgery; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality; D011149:Pons / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate