title: A Case Series Characterizing Pilomyxoid Astrocytomas in Childhood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The term pilomyxoid astrocytoma (PMA) was added to the World Health Organization Classification of Tumours of the central nervous system in 2007. Pilomyxoid tumors are grade II tumors, considered to be variants of pilocytic astrocytomas. We attempted to determine if positron emission tomography (PET), proliferative index (PI), and BRAF V600E mutation help better define PMAs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report 5 patients' clinical and neuroimaging findings, pathology (PI), and outcome. Four of the 5 patients had PET scans. Three patients showed [18F]fluoro-deoxyglucose hypermetabolism. The PI was elevated in all 5 cases and the BRAF V600E mutation was found in 3 of the 3 patients tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that PMAs are hypermetabolic on PET, have elevated PIs and BRAF V600E mutations, and behave aggressively.
authors.affiliation: *Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders †Institute for Molecular Medicine Departments of ‡Neuro-Radiology §Pathology ∥Barrow's Neurologic Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Etzl
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carpenteri
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shafron
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf