title: [Intracranial gangliogliomas. A review of a series of 20 patients].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A ganglioglioma is a type of primary central nervous system low grade tumour composed of mixed populations of glial and neuroepithelial elements. They accounts for 0.4 to 2% of all intracranial tumours and appear more commonly in children and young adults. Seizures, which are the most important symptom in these tumours, improve significantly after surgical excision.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1995 and 2008, 20 patients with (12 adults and 8 children) with intracranial ganglioglioma were treated at our hospital. Clinical information obtained by chart review included sex, age at onset of symptoms, clinical history, results of neurological examination, tumour location, CT and MRI appearance, surgical results and follow-up. All patients underwent tumour resection and the extent of surgery was determined from the surgical reports and postoperative imaging studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of patients was 26.4 years (range, 1-75 years), and the female to male ratio was 1.5:1. Except in one case, all patients had seizures with a median duration before diagnosis of 7.4 years (range 1-29). Seventeen tumours were located in the temporal lobe (9 right and 8 left). Macroscopically complete excision was performed in 17 patients and subtotal in the remaining 3. There were 4 cases of recurrence treated by surgery and radiotherapy being added in one case. The mean follow up was 8.5 years (range 22 months-14 years) and disease free survival at 5 years was 85% and an overall survival of 95%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The seizures, which are the most frequent symptoms, significantly improved after surgical removal. Surgery is the first choice of therapy in these tumours, and in the presence of subtotal resection or tumour recurrence the best indication for treatment is repeat surgery. Radiotherapy should be reserved only for malignant forms.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurocirugía, Departamento de Cirugía, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, España. miguel.gelabert@usc.es
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gelabert-González
authors.forename: J M Santín
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Amo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arcos Algaba
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serramito García
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Castro Bouzas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Díaz Cabana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prieto González
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aran Echabe
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Bandín Diéguez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villa Fernández
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García Allut
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018303:Ganglioglioma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult