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Cerebellar Astrocytomas: Pathology

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Posterior Fossa Tumors in Children

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Abstract

Cerebellar astrocytomas are common tumors in children, accounting for approx. 5–6 % of all gliomas, 20 % of all pediatric CNS tumors, and 30–40 % of the tumors developing within the posterior cranial fossa. Whereas the most common tumors in adults are high-grade astrocytic tumors, meningiomas, and metastases, in children astrocytic tumors are the most common CNS neoplasms, accounting for 47.3 % of lesions and tending to be low-grade. Particular entities almost exclusively found among children are pilocytic and pilomyxoid astrocytomas. Whereas the cerebrum is the favored site among adults, the infratentorial compartment including the cerebellum gives rise to between 21.7 and 60.2 % of all primary brain tumors in children. The most common subtype of glioma in childhood are pilocytic astrocytomas, the majority of which are located in the cerebellum (69 %), whereas high-grade astrocytic tumors of childhood are less frequently encountered in the posterior fossa with 13 % of pediatric anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastomas occurring in the cerebellum. While extent of resection, location, and WHO tumor grade are the most important prognostic parameters, a plethora of statistically significant histopathological, immunohistochemical, cytogenetic, and molecular genetic parameters has been put forward and discussed in regard to future clinical use.

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Acknowledgements

Many thanks and heartfelt best wishes to my former clinical colleagues at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne (Australia) – may the Hawthorn Hawks win many more flags! Thanks, too, to Werner Paulus for years of teaching, advice, and help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuropathology and Paediatric Pathology, Vivantes Clinics Berlin, Landsberger Allee 49, Berlin, 10249, Germany

    Christian H. Rickert M.D., Ph.D., FRCPath, FFSc(RCPA)

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  1. Christian H. Rickert M.D., Ph.D., FRCPath, FFSc(RCPA)
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Correspondence to Christian H. Rickert M.D., Ph.D., FRCPath, FFSc(RCPA) .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurosurgery, Acıbadem University, Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey

    M. Memet Özek

  2. Pediatric Neurosurgery, Santobono Children's Hospital, Naples, Napoli, Italy

    Giuseppe Cinalli

  3. Dept. Neurosurgery, Royal Childrens Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Wirginia Maixner

  4. Pediatric Neurosurgery, Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, Paris, France

    Christian Sainte-Rose

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Rickert, C.H. (2015). Cerebellar Astrocytomas: Pathology. In: Özek, M., Cinalli, G., Maixner, W., Sainte-Rose, C. (eds) Posterior Fossa Tumors in Children. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11274-9_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11274-9_28

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-11274-9

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