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Astroblastoma in a child

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Abstract

Background

Astroblastoma, an uncommon neuroepithelial tumor, typically presents in young adults as a well-circumscribed cortical or subcortical spherical mass. Astroblastoma may cause a diagnostic problem to anyone unfamiliar with its architectural and histological features.

Case history

We report the case of a 4-year-old boy who was referred for complaints of progressive deficits of balance and difficulty with walking during the previous 3 months. A large fronto-parietal cystic mass with solid mural nodule was discovered. Total removal of the tumor mass was performed, and a diagnosis of high grade (malignant) variant of astroblastoma was made. Postoperatively, the patient received radiation therapy, for a period of 11 weeks, followed by chemotherapy. He is in a good neurological recovery without any evidence of recurrence for 8 months.

Prognosis

The best treatment modality for astroblastoma is surgical resection if possible, whereas adjuvant therapy (radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy) can be considered in high-grade astroblastomas, with a close follow-up for all cases.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, 42080, Meram, Konya, Turkey

    Ekrem Unal

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Oncology, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey

    Yavuz Koksal

  3. Neuropathology Service, Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Istvan Vajtai

  4. Department of Pathology, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey

    Hatice Toy

  5. Department of Neurosurgery, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey

    Yalcın Kocaogullar

  6. Department of Radiology, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey

    Yahya Paksoy

Authors
  1. Ekrem Unal
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  2. Yavuz Koksal
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  3. Istvan Vajtai
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  4. Hatice Toy
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  5. Yalcın Kocaogullar
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  6. Yahya Paksoy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ekrem Unal.

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Unal, E., Koksal, Y., Vajtai, I. et al. Astroblastoma in a child. Childs Nerv Syst 24, 165–168 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-007-0424-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-007-0424-4

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