title: Treatment of cerebellopontine angle tumors in children: a single institution's experience.
abstract: The authors discuss the current management for cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors in children. CPA tumors accounted for 1% to 3% of intracranial tumors in children. There had been much controversy with the management of these tumors. A total of 29 eligible patients were enrolled to the study and 5 patients had multiple lesions at diagnosis. Eight patients with tumors exclusively confined in the CPA. Sixteen patients with tumors occurred predominantly within CPA and 5 arising from the vicinity and growing mainly into the CPA. Twelve tumors were located in the right CPA (41%) and 5 (17%) on the left. Thirteen of the 29 patients developed hydrocephalus and 3 required placement of a shunt. Lesions of the CPAs were divided into those native to the angle and those extending to the angle from adjacent structures. Gross total removal was achieved in 9 cases, subtotal in 14, and 2 had biopsies only. Four patients were diagnosed with pontine glioma solely by magnetic resonance imaging without histologic confirmation. Two died soon after the operation. Ten patients died with a mortality rate of 34.5%. The median follow-up in this study was 38 months (range: 4 to 225 mo). The CPA is a rare location for lesions in children, with clear predominance on the right side. Although low-grade lesions are more frequent, the histology varies widely and is limited by the lack of radiologic-pathologic correlation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming Horng
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Alex Mun-Ching
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Tang-Her
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Jaing
authors.forename: Huei-Shyong
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chuen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hsueh
authors.forename: Chieh-Tsai
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002530:Cerebellopontine Angle / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015996:Survival Rate