Pathology of diencephalic astrocytomas

Pediatric gliomas span a spectrum of neoplasms ranging from the well-circum scribed, slowly growing lesions that can be totally removed by surgery to h ighly infiltrating, nonexcisable, rapidly growing tumors that resist any fo rm of postoperative therapy. As part of this symposium, we discuss selected members of this group in the diencephalon, where lesions of both extremes are common in children. The report illustrates and contrasts the clinical, radiographic and pathological features of the two classic regional astrocyt omas, pilocytic and fibrillary, as well as two less common but distinctive lesions, pilomyxoid astrocytoma and bithalamic astrocytoma, Copyright (C) 2 000 S. Karger AG. Basel.