Childhood Brain Stem Glioma

Childhood brain stem gliomas include:

• Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas.
• Focal or low grade brain stem gliomas.

Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Brain Stem Glioma Treatment for more information.

Childhood Central Nervous System (CNS) Embryonal Tumors

Childhood CNS embryonal tumors include:

• Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors.
• Ependymoblastomas.
• Medulloblastomas.
• Medulloepitheliomas.
• Pineal parenchymal tumors of intermediate differentiation.
• Pineoblastomas.
• Supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors.

Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment for more information.

Childhood CNS Germ Cell Tumors

Childhood CNS germ cell tumors include:

• Germinomas.
• Embryonal yolk sac tumors.
• Choriocarcinomas.
• Immature teratomas.
• Mature teratomas.
• Teratomas with malignant transformation.
• Mixed germ cell tumors.
• Nongerminomatous germ cell tumors.

Germ cell brain tumors usually arise in the pineal or suprasellar regions. Histologic subtypes include teratomas (both mature and immature), germinomas, choriocarcinomas, and nongerminomatous germ cell tumors (i.e., embryonal cell carcinoma, yolk cell or endodermal sinus tumors, and mixed germ cell tumors). These tumors have a propensity for subarachnoid spread. Every patient with a germinoma or malignant germ cell tumor should be evaluated with diagnostic imaging of the spinal cord and whole brain. The best method for evaluating spinal cord subarachnoid metastasis is magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium enhancement. Cerebrospinal fluid CSF) should be examined cytologically and levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) determined. AFP and/or HCG may be elevated in the serum of such patients. Prognosis is related to histology; patients with pure germinoma have a more favorable outcome than those with nongerminomatous germ cell tumors (nongerminomas).[1,2]

Childhood Cerebellar Astrocytoma

Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Cerebellar Astrocytoma Treatment for more information.

Childhood Cerebral Astrocytoma

Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Cerebral Astrocytoma/Malignant Glioma Treatmentfor more information.

Childhood Craniopharyngioma

These are symptomatic benign tumors arising from remnants of Rathke’s pouch. There is no generally accepted staging system and metastasis is rare.[3,4,5,6]

Childhood Ependymoma

Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Ependymoma Treatment for more information.

Childhood Ependymoblastoma

Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment for more information.

Childhood Malignant Glioma

Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Cerebral Astrocytoma/Malignant Glioma Treatment for more information.

Childhood Medulloblastoma

Refer to the PDQ summaries on Childhood Medulloblastoma Treatment and Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment for more information.

Childhood Medulloepithelioma

Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment for more information.

Childhood Pineal Parenchymal Tumors

Childhood pineal parenchymal tumors include:

• Pineoblastomas.
• Pineocytomas.
• Pineal parenchymal tumors of intermediate differentiation.

Refer to the PDQ summaries on Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Pineoblastoma Treatment and Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment for more information.