Optic nerve gliomas in children: a reappraisal

Cerebro-vasculopathy and malignancy: catastrophic complications of radiotherapy for optic nerve glioma in a von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis patient

The authors report a unique case of a patient with intraorbital optic nerve glioma and von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis who developed cerebro-vasculopathy and malignant transformation in the orbit 18 months after radiotherapy treatment. The case is an important reminder of the possibly increased susceptibility of von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis patients to the complications of radiotherapy.

Intracranial tumours in the first 18 months of life

There are few population-based studies of intracranial tumours in children. This study examines 93 brain tumours in children up to 18 months of age from over 800 childhood central nervous system tumours reported to the Manchester Children's Tumour Registry during the period 1953-1987. The incidence was 1 per 25,000 live births. Of these tumours, 85% were malignant. The three most common tumours were medulloblastoma, ependymoma and juvenile astrocytoma. Eighteen percent of the tumours were in the axial region. Twenty-five percent were connected to the ventricles. The tumour was supratentorial in two-thirds of the children under 6 months of age. A high incidence of tumours in the families of these children was found; tumours were noted in two sets of siblings.