Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Imaging Features of Pilocytic Astrocytoma in Cerebral Ventricles

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Clinical Neuroradiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Our aim was to identify imaging characteristics of pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) in the cerebral ventricles to help radiologists distinguish PAs from other brain tumors preoperatively.

Methods

Twelve postsurgery patients with a pathological PA diagnosis were included. Among them, 10 had submitted to surgery based on 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging sequences and 7 because of computed tomography (CT) results. We analyzed their clinical and radiological records retrospectively.

Results

The 12 patients (7 were male) had 13 lesions (11 with a single focus, 1 with multiple foci). Average age was 26.5 years (range, 6–49 years). Clinical symptoms included headache, dizziness, vomiting, and unstable gait. Tumor locations were the lateral ventricle (4), fourth ventricle (7), or both ventricles (1, but multifocal). One tumor had disseminated. PA diameters were 18.7–63.0 mm (mean ± standard deviation, 36.5 ± 12.4 mm). Nine had a round margin, and four had irregular margins. Two were cystic lesions. Eleven were mixed cystic and solid. CT showed the tumors as low-density masses. Two had calcifications. Their cystic portions showed low signal intensity (SI) on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and high SI on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI). The cystic walls and solid portions of the PAs showed slightly low SI on T1WI and slightly high SI on T2WI. After gadopentetate dimeglumine administration, the solid portion showed heterogeneous enhancement, whereas the cystic portion showed no enhancement.

Conclusions

Radiological features of intraventricular and extraventricular PAs were similar to typical ones, including enhanced nodules within cysts. Radiological findings can usually diagnose PAs correctly.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Stüer C, Vilz B, Majores M, Becker A, Schramm J, Simon M. Frequent recurrence and progression in pilocytic astrocytoma in adults. Cancer. 2007;110:2799–808.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Rickert CH, Paulus W. Epidemiology of central nervous system tumors in childhood and adolescence based on the new WHO classification. Childs Nerv Syst. 2001;17:503–11.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Rosemberg S, Fujiwara D. Epidemiology of pediatric tumors of the nervous system according to the WHO 2000 classification: a report of 1,195 cases from a single institution. Childs Nerv Syst. 2005;21:940–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bilginer B, Nafin F, Oguz KK, Uzun S, Soylemezoglu F, Akalan N. Benign cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas in children. Turk Neurosurg. 2011;21:22–6.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Koeller KK, Rushing EJ. From the archives of the AFIP: pilocytic astrocytoma: radiologic-pathologic correlation. Radiographics. 2004;24:1693–708.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Kumar AJ, Leeds NE, Kumar VA, Fuller GN, Lang FF, Milas Z, Weinberg JS, Ater JL, Sawaya R. Magnetic resonance imaging features of pilocytic astrocytoma of the brain mimicking high-grade gliomas. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2010;34:601–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Cyrine S, Sonia Z, Mounir T, Badderedine S, Kalthoum T, Hedi K, Moncef M. Pilocytic astrocytoma: a retrospective study of 32 cases. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2013;115:1220–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Abel TJ, Chowdhary A, Thapa M, Rutledge JC, Geyer JR, Ojemann J, Avellino AM. Spinal cord pilocytic astrocytoma with leptomeningeal dissemination to the brain—case and review of the literature. J Neurosurg. 2006;105:508–14.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Malik A, Deb P, Sharma MC, Sarkar C. Neuropathological spectrum of pilocytic astrocytoma—an Indian series of 120 cases. Pathol Oncol Res. 2006;12:164–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Murray RD, Penar PL, Filippi CG, Tarasiewicz I. Radiographically distinct variant of pilocytic astrocytoma: a case series. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2011;35:495–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Burkhard C, Di Patre PL, Schüler D, Schuler G, Yasargil MG, Yonekawa Y, Lütolf UM, Kleihues P, Ohgaki H. A population-based study of the incidence and survival rates in patients with pilocytic astrocytoma. J Neurosurg. 2003;98:1170–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kim MS, Kim SW, Chang CH, Kim OL. Cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas with spontaneous intratumoral hemorrhage in adult. J Korean Neurosurg Soc. 2011;49:363–6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Grand SD, Kremer S, Tropres IM, Hoffmann DM, Chabardes SJ, Lefournier V, Berger FR, Pasteris C, Krainik A, Pasquier BM, Peoch M, Le Bas JF. Perfusion—sensitive MRI of pilocytic astrocytomas: initial results. Neuroradiology. 2007;49:545–50.

  14. Beni-Adani L, Gomori M, Spektor S, Constantini S. Cyst wall enhancement in pilocytic astrocytoma: neoplastic or reactive phenomena. Pediatr Neurosurg. 2000;32:234–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Horger M, Vogel MN, Beschorner R, Ernemann U, Worner J, Fenchel M, Ebner F, Nagele T, Heckl S. T2 and DWI in pilocytic and pilomyxoid astrocytoma with pathologic correlation. Can J Neurol Sci. 2012;39:491–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Andreia VF, Geovani CAA, Veronica AZ, Ghizoni E, Queiroz LS. Dissemination patterns of pilocytic astrocytoma. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2006;108:568–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Figueiredo EG, Matushita H, Machado AG, Plese JPP, Rosemberg S, Marino R. Leptomeningeal dissemination of pilocytic astrocytoma at diagnosis in childhood: two cases report. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2003;61:842–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Jiangsu Taizhou People’s Hospital, 230 YinChun Road, 225300, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China

    JG. Xia MD & WZ. Tian MD

  2. Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Rd. Middle, 200040, Shanghai, China

    B. Yin MD, YP. Lu MD & DY. Geng

  3. Department of Radiology, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, 270 Dongan Rd., 200032, Shanghai, China

    L. Liu MD

Authors
  1. JG. Xia MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. Yin MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. Liu MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. YP. Lu MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. DY. Geng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. WZ. Tian MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to WZ. Tian MD.

Additional information

JG. Xia, B. Yin, L. Liu, and YP. Lu contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xia, J., Yin, B., Liu, L. et al. Imaging Features of Pilocytic Astrocytoma in Cerebral Ventricles. Clin Neuroradiol 26, 341–346 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00062-015-0370-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00062-015-0370-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation