Diagnostic assertiveness of cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma in the pediatric age

Abstract

Pilocytic astrocytoma of the cerebellum in the pediatric age is the most frequent benign tumor lesion of the nervous system in children according to the WHO. International literature mentions that being low-grade tumors they have a high curative capacity. If the entire tumor is resected, when it is completely removed, survival increases with a high quality of life for children who presented this pathology and was treated on time. However, the delay in diagnosis and therefore in its treatment could generate the possibility of tumor transformation, the malignant nature of the transformed injuries has a very high morbidity and mortality, without mentioning that the degree of cognitive sequelae greatly affects the quality of life of the survivors. That is why the training of pediatric and non-pediatric first contact doctors imply a great responsibility since it gives the population and patients suffering from this nosology the possibility to improve their future life, as well as reduce the cost of the impact caused by the injuries they suffer. On the other hand, these tumors can transform generating devastating prognoses, without taking into account the economic and social repercussions of patients suffering from a low-grade tumor. When it is detected and treated assertively in a timely manner, it offers them greater opportunities than those who did not have such a timely diagnosis.