title: Clinical Characteristics and Long-Term Outcomes of Movement Disorders in Childhood Thalamic Tumors.
abstract: We studied the outcomes of movement disorders that were associated with childhood thalamic tumors.
  
  
  
  We retrospectively reviewed 83 children with thalamic tumors treated at our institution from 1996 to 2013 to document the incidence and outcome of movement disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to analyze the involvement of thalamic nuclei, and three instruments were used to rate the severity of the disorders.
  
  
  
  Nine (11%) patients had one or more of the following movement disorders: postural tremor, resting tremor, ballism, dystonia, myoclonus, and athetosis. Median age at tumor diagnosis was seven years (range, 0.25 to 11 years), and the average age at movement disorder onset was eight years (range, 1.5 to 11 years). Movement disorders developed at a median of 1.5 months (range, 0 to 4 months) after surgical resection. The severity of the disorders was either unchanged or slightly improved during follow-up. The red nuclei were the only thalamic structures that showed tumor involvement in all nine patients.
  
  
  
  No specific injury of the thalamic nuclei was associated with movement disorders in children with thalamic tumors, and the severity of these disorders did not change over time.
authors: Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee. Electronic address: zsila.sadighi@stjude.org.
authors: Zsila S
authors: ZS
authors: Sadighi
authors: Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Zabrowski
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee; Le Bonheur Neuroscience Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; Semmes-Murphey Neurologic and Spine Institute, Memphis, Tennessee; Division of Neurosurgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors: Frederick A
authors: FA
authors: Boop
authors: Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Broniscer
authors: Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors: Amar
authors: A
authors: Gajjar
authors: Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors: Raja B
authors: RB
authors: Khan
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013788:Thalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: childhood; movement disorder; outcome; thalamic tumors