INTRAMEDULLARY ASTROCYTOMAS AND EPENDYMOMAS IN THE PEDIATRIC AGE GROUP - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

A series of 45 pediatric patients underwent surgery for intramedullary astrocytoma or ependymoma at the Cook County Hospital or the Children 's Memorial Hospital of Chicago(Northwestern University) and the Neuro surgical Department of Rome ''La Sapienza'' University. Results showed that intramedullary astrocytomas and ependymomas in children differ f rom one another in terms of prognosis. and particularly as regards sur gical strategy as an element of therapeutic management. Gross total re moval of 70% of the ependymomas was achieved, in comparison to 33% of the astrocytomas. In astrocytomas the extent of resection did not sign ificantly influence prognosis. Neurological condition on admission, re gardless of oncotype, was found to be extremely influential: patients operated in good condition tended to remain neurologically stable or i mprove in the long term, while those operated on while in poor conditi on did not show any improvement at all. No definitive conclusions were possible regarding the value of radiotherapy, because it was only per formed in 6 of the 45 cases. The authors limited its use to highly mal ignant lesions in view of the well-known sensitivity of the spinal cor d to radiation, especially in children.