Spontaneous involution of a non-optic astrocytoma in neurofibromatosis type I: serial magnetic resonance imaging evaluation

Acta Radiol. 2004 Oct;45(6):669-73. doi: 10.1080/02841850410001150.

Abstract

A patient with neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) was followed-up with serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies over a period of 6 years. A contrast-enhancing lesion of the internal capsule, histologically proven to be pilocytic astrocytoma through stereotactic brain biopsy with mass effect and associated edema, was detected to reveal spontaneous involution on follow-up MRI studies. Although spontaneous regression of gliomas of the optic pathway-hypothalamus in patients with NF1 is relatively common in the literature, spontaneous involution of non-optic (i.e. areas other than optic pathways and hypothalamus) gliomas is rarely reported. Conservative management with follow-up MRI studies should be considered for non-optic glial tumors and tumor-like masses in patients with NF1, and surgical treatment should not be considered unless the lesions exhibit a rapid or unrelenting growth on serial MRI studies or produce significant clinical deterioration.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Astrocytoma / pathology*
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous / pathology*
  • Neurofibromatosis 1 / pathology*