The Classification Of The Children Cerebellar Astrycytoma And Individualized Therapy

ObjectiveTo summarize the clinical characteristic CA of children with Cerebellar Astrycytoma, and analyze the factors influencing the outcome of treatment.To investigate the classification of the children cerebellar astrycytoma and individualized therapy.Materials and MethodsThe clinical data of children with Cerebellar Astrycytoma between January 2005 to July 2006 in Pediatric Neurosurgery Division of Beijing Tian Tan Hospital was reviewed retrospectively, including the following-up data. We classified the tumour into groups of solid tumor, tumor within a cyst, and cystic tumor according to radiographic results. Tumor resection was performed through posterior central approach, suboccipital Approach, CPA approach, or Poppen approach according to the location. All of the patients were given postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy except for those of within-a-cyst tumors.ResultsThere were 14 boys and 17 girls enrolled. The age of ranged from 2 years to 16 years old, with the average age of 6.9 years. There were 19 cases in the cerebellar hemispheres,10 cases in vermis,4 cases broke into the fourth ventricle, and with brainstem adhesion closely.31 patients were operated, with 6 solid tumors,8 within-a-cyst tumors,17 cystic tumors. The number of total tumor resection was 5,8, and 16 respectively, and 23 of them received adjuvant radiotherapy. The rate of the 5-year progress-free survival (PFS) is 96.8%.ConclusionBecause the cerebellum astrocytomas have higher subtotal resection, The overall prognosis of children is better than adults.As the prior choice of initial therapies in treating children with thalamic gliomas, the operations should be performed to resect the tumors as much as possible without injuring the adjacent important structures. The younger the patients, the longer the time interval of the symptom onset to operation, the higher the extent of surgical resection, the lower the pathological grade of the tumor, the better prognosis the patients might get. Adjuvant radiotherapy is not necessary for within-a-cyst tumors, while is recommended for solid tumors and cystic tumors. The individualised therapy may help improving the 5-year PFS.