title: Transcallosal interforniceal approach to pineal region tumors in 150 children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pediatric pineal region tumors are very difficult to cure surgically. The authors used the transcallosal interforniceal approach in patients with these lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred fifty children, 98 boys and 52 girls, with pineal region tumors underwent tumor resection via the transcallosal interforniceal approach in the pediatric neurosurgery ward of TianTan Hospital. The patients ranged in age from 1 to 15 years. Fifty-eight patients had mature teratomas; 57, immature teratomas; 14, astrocytomas; 3, glioblastomas; 4, pineoblastomas; 2, pineocytomas; 4, choriocarcinomas; 4, cavernous hemangiomas; 2, germ cell tumors; and 2, epidermoid cysts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twenty-nine tumors were totally removed, 15 were subtotally removed, and 6 were partly removed. There were no deaths and no subsequent instances of disconnection syndrome. Short-term memory deficits appeared in 94 patients but resolved within 6 months in most; only a few patients retained persistent deficits. There were 2 patients with mutism that resolved within 10 days. Parinaud syndrome was observed in 45 patients after surgery; 21 of these cases had appeared preoperatively. The syndrome resolved within 6 months in 31 patients, while it remained in the other 14.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The transcallosal interforniceal approach appears to be a safe route for pineal region tumors in children, and complete resection can be achieved in the majority of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Tian Tan Hospital, Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wenqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Isabelle Yisha
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yuqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Weiqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000601:surgery*; D004814:Epidermal Cyst / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D020712:Fornix, Brain / Q000601:surgery; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000601:surgery; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000601:surgery; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D010870:Pineal Gland; D010871:Pinealoma / Q000601:surgery; D013724:Teratoma / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome