Incidental diagnosis of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in children

Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2015 Jun;62(6):1081-3. doi: 10.1002/pbc.25408. Epub 2015 Jan 16.

Abstract

Children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) have a short onset, rapidly progressive neurologic decline before diagnosis. Therefore, incidental diagnosis of such an aggressive cancer is counterintuitive, yet our experience shows DIPG may occur as part of a spectrum of incidentally diagnosed pediatric brain cancers. Although children with incidentally diagnosed DIPG may experience a longer survival, it remains a potentially deadly cancer despite treatment with radiotherapy. Histologic confirmation is warranted when feasible in such patients to confirm diagnosis. Moreover, recent advances in genome-wide analyses may suggest incidentally diagnosed DIPGs are biologically distinct from the majority of these cancers.

Keywords: neuro-oncology; pediatric hematology/oncology; tumor biology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Brain Stem Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Glioma / diagnosis*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male