Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma

3 Interesting Facts of Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma

  1. Pilocytic astrocytoma is a slow-growing glioma that presents in children with a similar history and physical examination, owing to the typical posterior fossa location surrounding the fourth ventricle; seizures are a more common presentation with pilocytic astrocytoma 
  2. Characteristic CT findings are best used to differentiate these cystic lesions from medulloblastoma in preoperative period
    • Pilocytic astrocytomas are large, cystic, round or oval structures with a sharply demarcated, smooth enhancing rim and without surrounding tissue edema on CT imaging; location is more often lateral compared with the usual midline location of medulloblastoma 
    • Characteristically a juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma is hypoattenuated on noncontrast CT (unless significant calcification and/or hemorrhage is present) compared with the hyperattenuated appearance characteristic of medulloblastoma on noncontrast CT imaging
  3. Pilocytic astrocytoma is definitively differentiated from medulloblastoma by histopathology
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