Posterior fossa tumors in children: Radiological tips & tricks in the age of genomic tumor classification and advance MR technology

J Neuroradiol. 2020 Feb;47(1):46-53. doi: 10.1016/j.neurad.2019.08.002. Epub 2019 Sep 18.

Abstract

Imaging plays a major role in the comprehensive assessment of posterior fossa tumor in children (PFTC). The objective is to propose a global method relying on the combined analysis of radiological, clinical and epidemiological criteria, (taking into account the child's age and the topography of the lesion) in order to improve our histological approach in imaging, helping the management and approach for surgeons in providing information to the patients' parents. Infratentorial tumors are the most frequent in children, representing mainly medulloblastoma, pilocytic astrocytoma and brainstem glioma. Pre-surgical identification of the tumor type and its aggressiveness could be improved by the combined analysis of key imaging features with epidemiologic data.

Keywords: Brain; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pediatric; Posterior fossa; Tumor.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Child
  • Genomics
  • Humans
  • Infratentorial Neoplasms / classification
  • Infratentorial Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Infratentorial Neoplasms / genetics
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Radiology / methods*