title: Radiation-induced brain tumours after central nervous system irradiation in childhood: a review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Radiation-induced cerebral tumours constitute a significant risk for subjects undergoing radiotherapy for the management of cerebral neoplasms. Age-related cerebral vulnerability could be a specific factor in the genesis of these complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pertinent literature of both paediatric and adult series has been reviewed. Three personal cases were added.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred forty-two paediatric second brain tumours were evaluated. Out of them, 69 were malignant gliomas, 33 meningiomas, 8 sarcomatous lesions and 13 low-grade astrocytomas. The average latency period for the appearance of the second tumour was 8 years. Among the second tumours occurring in adults, meningioma is the most common. In this subgroup, the latency period ranged between 16 and 30 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paediatric radiation-induced brain tumours differ from the adult counterpart for both the histological subtypes. These figures indicate a specific vulnerability of the infantile brain demonstrated by the most frequent occurrence of highly malignant lesions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurosurgery, Division of Paediatric Neurosurgery, Catholic University of Rome, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 8, 00168, Rome, Italy. benedettaludovica@virgilio.it
authors.forename: Benedetta Ludovica
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Pettorini
authors.forename: Young-Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caldarelli
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Massimi
authors.forename: Gianpiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tamburrini
authors.forename: Concezio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Rocco
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010372:Pediatrics