Posterior cranial fossa tumours in childhood

Abstract

We reviewed clinical and CT findings in 133 posterior cranial fossa tumours in children. All had histological diagnosis, apart from 20 cases of brain stem glioma. The majority were intra-axial tumours, including 53 medulloblastomas (40%), 31 cerebellar astrocytomas (23%), 28 brain stem gliomas (21%), 14 ependymomas (11%), and single cases of ganglioglioma, haemangioblastoma and teratoma. Extra-axial tumours formed only 3%, including 2 chordomas and 2 schwannomas. The clinical data and CT findings are reviewed. Cerebellar astrocytoma involved the sexes equally, while medulloblastoma, brain stem glioma, and ependymoma were more common in males. Most cerebellar astrocytomas were in the midline, and presumably arose from the vermis. The frequency of calcification was similar to that in previous reports, being highest in ependymoma (69%), followed my medulloblastoma (29%), cerebellar astrocytoma (17%), and brain stem glioma (8%).