Pediatric intracranial primary anaplastic ganglioglioma.

BACKGROUND

Primary intracranial anaplastic gangliogliomas are rare tumors in the pediatric patient group. Most of them present with symptoms of elevated pressure or symptomatic epilepsy. Extraaxial location is far more common than axial location. On MRI examination, they mimic pilocytic astrocytomas. The outcome after surgery depends mainly on the possible amount of surgical resection, and oncological therapy is necessary to prevent recurrence of the disease.

METHODS

An 11-year-old boy presented with headache and double vision due to obstructive hydrocephalus. MRI of the brain revealed an axial partially contrast enhancing lesion in the quadrigeminal plate extending from the cerebellum to the pineal gland and causing hydrocephalus. Subtotal removal of the lesion was performed, and the diagnosis of an anaplastic ganglioglioma was established and confirmed by the reference center. At the latest follow up (3 months), the boy is without any neurological symptoms and scheduled for radiation therapy as well as chemotherapy.