Cite

Copy

Tap on and choose 'Add to Home Screen' to create a shortcut app

Tap on and choose 'Install/Install App' to create a shortcut app

Infratentorial Tumors In Children Homepage

This page was last updated on January 3rd, 2023

 

Section Editor

Kristian Aquilina, M.D.

Editor in Chief

Rick Abbott, M.D.

Introduction

Whereas the overwhelming majority of brain tumors in adults are supratentorial, infratentorial tumors are common in children.  The great majority of infratentorial tumors in children are medulloblastomas, cerebellar astrocytomas, or ependymomas.

Most children with infratentorial tumors present with symptomatic hydrocephalus requiring immediate evaluation and management.  Operations for infratentorial tumors can be demanding, and surgery in young children and infants in the posterior fossa is associated with additional challenges and hazards.

Key Points

  • Incidence: Approximately 50% of brain tumors in children older than 1 year of age are infratentorial (1,2).
  • Types: Approximately 30 – 55% of infratentorial tumors in children are medulloblastomas, 25% are cerebellar astrocytomas, and 20% are ependymomas.
  • Presentation: The most common presentation of posterior fossa tumors in children is symptomatic elevated ICP secondary to obstructive hydrocephalus.  Focal signs are less common.

Your donations keep us going

The ISPN Guide is free to use, but we rely on donations to fund our ongoing work and to maintain more than a thousand pages of information created to disseminate the most up-to-date knowledge in the field of paediatric neurosurgery.

By making a donation to The ISPN Guide you are also indirectly helping the many thousands of children around the world whose treatment depends on well-informed surgeons.

Please consider making a donation today.

Use the app

The ISPN Guide can be used as a standalone app, both on mobile devices and desktop computers. It’s quick and easy to use.

Fully featured

Free registration grants you full access to The Guide and host of featured designed to help further your own education.

Stay updated

The ISPN Guide continues to expand both in breadth and depth. Join our mailing list to stay up-to-date with our progress.