Stereotactic biopsy for brainstem tumors in pediatric patients.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim is to describe clinical and paraclinical features in patients who underwent stereotactic-guided biopsy for brainstem tumors.


METHODS
A study of case series was made by reviewing the records of patients who underwent stereotactic biopsy for brainstem tumors.


RESULTS
Stereotactic biopsy for brainstem tumors was performed (between 2000 and 2008) in 20 children (11 girls, and 9 boys), mean age 7.95 +/- 3.12 years at the time of diagnosis. The mean time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 6.59 +/- 13.58 months (0.50-60 months). The most frequent symptoms and signs at onset were related to disturbance of cerebellar function and cranial nerve nuclei. Location was pontomesencephalic (35%), pontine (30%), pontomedullar (25%), and in the whole brainstem (10%). The most common type of image was intrinsic-diffused (55%). The histopathology was anaplastic astrocytoma (30%), followed by fibrillary and pilocytic types (25% each), low-grade astrocytoma (5%), high-grade astrocytoma (5%), and normal tissue (10%). Mild complications were observed in only two cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Stereotactic biopsy done for clarifiying a diagnostic imaging in brainstem tumors is important in obtaining a definitive diagnosis with a low rate of complications.
Departamento de Neurocirugía Pediátrica, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Insurgentes Sur 3700-C, Col. Insurgentes Cuicuilco, Deleg. Coyoacán, Mexico.
José L
JL
Pérez-Gómez
Carlos A
CA
Rodríguez-Alvarez
Alfonso
A
Marhx-Bracho
Fernando
F
Rueda-Franco
D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001706:Biopsy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000473:pathology*; D020295:Brain Stem Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques