Laser interstitial thermal therapy for subependymal giant cell astrocytoma: technical case report.
Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) is a rare tumor occurring almost exclusively in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. Although open resection remains the standard therapy, complication rates remain high. To minimize morbidity, less invasive approaches, such as endoscope-assisted resection, radiosurgery, and chemotherapy with mTOR pathway inhibitors, are also used to treat these lesions. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a relatively new modality that is increasingly used to treat a variety of intracranial lesions. In this report, the authors describe two pediatric cases of SEGA that were treated with LITT. In both patients the lesion responded well to this treatment modality, with tumor shrinkage observed on follow-up MRI. These cases highlight the potential of LITT to serve as a viable minimally invasive therapeutic approach to the management of SEGAs in the pediatric population.
Department of Neurological Surgery and.|Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
David Y A
DY
Dadey
Department of Neurological Surgery and.
Ashwin A
AA
Kamath
Department of Neurological Surgery and.
Eric C
EC
Leuthardt
Department of Neurological Surgery and.
Matthew D
MD
Smyth
D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000601:surgery*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*
LITT; LITT = laser interstitial thermal therapy; PICU = pediatric intensive care unit; SEGA; SEGA = subependymal giant cell astrocytoma; TDT = thermal damage threshold; TSC = tuberous sclerosis complex; laser interstitial thermal therapy; subependymal giant cell astrocytoma; ventriculostomy