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| TEACHING THROUGH IMAGES |
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| Year : 2023 | Volume
: 3
| Issue : 2 | Page : 122-126 |
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Posterior Fossa Tumours in Children
Aarushi Garg
Department of Radiodiagnosis, Manipal Hospital, New Delhi, India
| Date of Submission | 13-Apr-2023 |
| Date of Decision | 13-Apr-2023 |
| Date of Acceptance | 13-Apr-2023 |
| Date of Web Publication | 24-May-2023 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Aarushi Garg
Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/ipcares.ipcares_84_23
How to cite this article:
Garg A. Posterior Fossa Tumours in Children. Indian Pediatr Case Rep 2023;3:122-6 |
Brain tumors are the most common solid neoplasms in children. Incidence varies between 1 and 3/100,000 in different series. Posterior fossa tumors have a very different differential in a child as opposed to an adult. Children with posterior fossa brain tumors typically present with signs and symptoms related to increased intracranial pressure, gait disturbances, and/or cranial nerve deficits, depending on the type, size, and location of the tumor. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance evaluation help in tumor detection, diagnosis, and therapy guidance, as well as follow-up of these patients. This article aims to provide an overview of the imaging characteristics of the most common primary posterior fossa brain tumors in children.
The most common presenting symptoms are raised intracranial pressure with headache and vomiting. Tumors in the posterior fossa are considered the most critical brain lesions. This is primarily due to the limited space within the posterior fossa, as well as the potential involvement of the vital brain stem nuclei.
| Characteristics of Individual Types of Posterior Fossa Tumors | |  |
The most common posterior fossa tumors are pilocytic astrocytoma, diffuse brain stem glioma, medulloblastoma, and ependymoma. Pilocytic astrocytomas are the most common among all and show a classic cyst with nodule appearance. Diffuse brain stem glioma usually has epicenter in the pons with the displacement of the basilar artery. Ependymoma is seen to arise from the fourth ventricle. Medulloblastoma has characteristic of showing drop metastasis to the spinal cord through the ventricle system and usually arises from the vermis.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| Suggested Reading | | |
- Goenka A, Yap J, Chieng R, et al. Pediatric posterior fossa tumours. Radiopaedia. doi: 10.53347/rID-6450.
- Alves CA, Löbel U, Martin-Saavedra JS, et al. A diagnostic algorithm for posterior fossa tumors in children: A validation study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2021;42:961-8.
- D'Arco F, Culleton S, De Cocker LJ, et al. Current concepts in radiologic assessment of pediatric brain tumors during treatment, part 1. Pediatr Radiol 2018;48:1833-43.
- Rasalkar DD, Chu WC, Paunipagar BK, et al. Paediatric intra-axial posterior fossa tumours: Pictorial review. Postgrad Med J 2013;89:39-46.
- Koral K, Gargan L, Bowers DC, et al. Imaging characteristics of atypical teratoid-rhabdoid tumor in children compared with medulloblastoma. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2008;190:809-14.
- Duc NM, Huy HQ. Magnetic resonance imaging features of common posterior fossa brain tumors in children: A preliminary Vietnamese study. Open Access Maced J Med Sci 2019;7:2413-8.
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