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Objective: Posterior fossa tumours in children predispose to hydrocephalus, although the natural history is unclear and the need for drainage of the ventricles is controversial. We report on the natural history of ventriculomegaly and tonsillar herniation, as seen on serial MRI scans in children with posterior fossa tumours. Results: Eighty-nine children with posterior fossa tumours were reviewed retrospectively. Overall, 18 (20%) patients required permanent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage in the form of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (n = 15) or third ventriculostomy (n = 3). On pre-operative MRI scan, the ventricular size was assessed by measurement of the ventricular index (VI) and 59 patients (66%) had a VI greater than 0.4. There was a progressive decrease in the mean VI from pre-operative to post-operative MRI scans and beyond 3-9 months after surgery, the mean VI was less than 0.4 (p = 0.0001). Patients requiring permanent CSF drainage had a greater VI pre-operatively and at 3-9 months post-operatively (p < 0.05). On pre-operative MRI scan, 75 patients (84%) had greater than 5 mm herniation of the cerebellar tonsils below the level of the foramen magnum. There was a progressive decrease in the mean tonsillar herniation from pre-operative to post-operative MRI scans, with time (p = 0.0001), although this did not relate to the need for CSF drainage. On multivariate analysis, the need for permanent CSF drainage was associated with pre- and intra-operative CSF drainage (odds ratio = 23.3; p = 0.0001) and incomplete surgical excision of tumour (odds ratio = 7.7; p = 0.006). Conclusions: Hydrocephalus and tonsillar herniation are common in children with posterior fossa tumours, although post-operatively there is a natural tendency for it to resolve and only a fifth of the patients needed permanent CSF drainage. We recommend selective drainage of CSF in children with posterior fossa tumours. Patients at risk are those with severe symptoms at presentation, needing perioperative CSF drainage and those with subtotal resection of tumour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Tumours of the choroid plexus are rare tumours of neuro-ectodermal origin, accounting for less than 1% of all intracranial tumours. Most cases present in children less than 2 years of age. While choroid plexus carcinomas (CPC) are reported to have an extremely poor prognosis, choroid plexus papillomas (CPP) are generally regarded as benign tumours with a very favourable long-term outcome. Management dilemmas are associated with the choice of surgical procedure, tumour vascularity, the treatment of hydrocephalus and the value of adjuvant therapy. The objective of this study was to review our experience with this rare tumour over a 20-year period. Methods:Patients were identified from the Great Ormond Street Neurosurgical Brain Tumour Database. Over a 20-year period (1979–1999), 34 children were identified with a choroid plexus tumour. There were 25 cases of CPP and 9 cases of CPC. A retrospective review of case notes, radiological imaging, operation reports and pathology was performed. Results:The median age at presentation was 17 months (1–138) for CPP and 13 months (2–102) for CPC. There was no sex difference for CPP. However, 8 of the 9 CPCs were male (89%). A complete surgical resection was achieved in all 25 cases of CPP and in 3 cases of CPC (33%). The median survival for CPPs was 75.5 months (2–228), with a median follow-up of 73.5 months (2–228). The median survival for CPCs was 6 months (1–90), with a median follow-up of 6 months (1–90). Conclusion: With modern neurosurgical practise, a cure should be the aim for all children with CPP. There is no evidence that adjuvant therapy has any role in the primary management of these children. However, CPC still has an extremely poor prognosis, and the efficacy of adjuvant therapy remains to be established.Copyright © 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is still no consensus on the natural history and optimal management of optic pathway gliomas (OPG) in children. In order to tackle optimal management issues, we need to clearly understand the prognostic and confounding factors affecting relapse of OPG. We propose the use of the Cox proportional hazards (PH) model in a retrospective study of childhood OPG of 69 children seen from 1977 to 1994. We have developed a comprehensive model capable of multivariate analyses and handling time-dependencies. Our studies showed that relapse-free survival improves with increasing age, the presence of neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), and chemotherapy and radiotherapy (p < 0.0005). Sex, tumor position and surgery do not significantly affect survival. Older children with NF1 have extremely good prognosis. We noted behavior that departs from the strictly proportional hazards model, but results were inconclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents images of urinary incontinence and ventriculoperitoneal shunts, generated through ultrasound imaging and laparoscopy.