A population-based study of the incidence and survival rates in patients with pilocytic astrocytoma

Abstract

This population-based study shows that, because of the benign biological behavior of pilocytic astrocytomas and advances in microneurosurgery, the survival rates for patients with these tumors are excellent, regardless of postoperative radiotherapy.

Neuropathological spectrum of pilocytic astrocytoma-an Indian series of 120 cases

“…In the present series, PA constituted 6.1% of all intracranial tumors and 18.3% of all glial tumors during a 5-years study period, which was similar to the 5.5% incidence among 987 astrocytomas, in the 15-year population-based study conducted by Burkhard et al 8 Though no clear evidence of increased incidence of PA among any racial or ethnic group is available, 17,29 some reports 17,23 have noted an increased incidence of PA among Caucasians as compared to black or Asian population. However, Ohgaki and Kleihues 29 have concluded that this may probably be a reflection of the differences in their socio-economic status and under-ascertainment in some regions, rather than a significant difference in genetic susceptibility.…”

Comparison of Perfusion, Diffusion, and MR Spectroscopy between Low-Grade Enhancing Pilocytic Astrocytomas and High-Grade Astrocytomas

“…This tumor occurs most frequently in the first 2 decades of life, 1 composing up to 25% of brain tumors in pediatric neurosurgical practices, 2 and it only rarely occurs in adults. 2 The incidence is approximately 4.8 cases per million people per year, 3 with 2.3%-6% of all brain tumors classified as PAs. 3,4 PAs are usually clinically benign and are classified as grade I by the World Health Organization (WHO).…”

“…2 The incidence is approximately 4.8 cases per million people per year, 3 with 2.3%-6% of all brain tumors classified as PAs. 3,4 PAs are usually clinically benign and are classified as grade I by the World Health Organization (WHO). 4 They are potentially curable by surgery and are associated with a longer survival.…”

Symptomatic Hemorrhage Associated With Recurrent Pilocytic Astrocytoma With Granulation Tissue-Case Report-

“…5,6,18,34) Histopathological changes in pilocytic astrocytomas tend toward regressive changes including hyalinization, telangiectatic vessels, necrosis, or lymphocytic infiltration rather than anaplasia, and malignant transformation is rare. 5) MIB-1 labeling indices range from 0% to 3.9%.…”

“…5) Pilocytic astrocytoma is a slow-growing tumor, and gross total or subtotal resection without adjuvant therapy results in good outcome in most patients, although several cases of late recurrence have been described, including as long as 36 and 45 years after surgical treatment. 1,4,6,9,14,29) Pilocytic astrocytomas are frequently associated with cysts that occasionally contain xanthochromic or brown fluid suggesting old hemorrhage. 5,30) However, symptomatic hemorrhage related to pilocytic astrocytoma is rare.…”