Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Medulloblastoma in children and in adults: a comparative study

  • Clinical Articles
  • Published:
Acta Neurochirurgica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

We report on the clinical and pathological characters and factors influencing prognosis in a consecutive series of 20 cases of medulloblastoma presenting in childhood and of 20 cases of the tumour presenting in adulthood. The significant differences which emerged were compared with the findings of the largest published series. Medulloblastoma is more often lateral in site and desmoplastic in histology in adults than in children. On our evidence the age at tumour onset not affect survival.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Becker LE, Hinton D (1983) Primitive neuroectodermal tumours of the central nervous system. Hum Pathol 14: 538–550

    Google Scholar 

  2. Berry MP, Jenkin RDT, Keen CW, Nair BD, Simpson WJ (1981) Radiation therapy for medulloblastoma: a 21 year review. J Neurosurg 55: 43–51

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bloom HJG, Wallace ENK, Henk JM (1969) The treatment and prognosis of medulloblastoma in children: a study of 82 verified cases. AJR 105: 43–62

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bloom HJG (1982) Medulloblastoma in children: increasing survival rates and further prospects. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 8: 2023–2027

    Google Scholar 

  5. Borghi G, Chiorino R (1964) Medulloblastoma in adults. Neurochirurgia (Stuttg) 7: 8–17

    Google Scholar 

  6. Caputy JA, McCullough DC, Manz HJ, Patterson K, Hammock MK (1987) A review of the factors influencing the prognosis of medulloblastoma. The importance of cell differentiation. J Neurosurg 66: 80–87

    Google Scholar 

  7. Chang CH, Housepian EM, Hebert C Jr (1969) An operative staging system and a megavoltage radiotherapeutic technic for cerebellar medulloblastomas. Radiology 93: 1351–1359

    Google Scholar 

  8. Chatty EM, Earle KM (1971) Medulloblastoma: a report of 201 cases with emphasis on the relationship of histologic variants to survival. Cancer 28: 977–983

    Google Scholar 

  9. Choux M, Lena G (1982) Le medulloblastome. Monographie. Masson, Paris, pp 1–225

    Google Scholar 

  10. Choux M, Lena G, Hassoun J (1983) Prognosis and long-term following-up in patients with medulloblastoma. Clin Neurosurg 30: 246–277

    Google Scholar 

  11. Colangelo M, Daniele B, Ruggiero R, Buonaguro A, Ambrosio A (1987) Medulloblastoma: a critical approach to the management on the basis of 12 years of experience. Childs Nerv Syst 3: 81–84

    Google Scholar 

  12. Dhellemmes P, Demaille MC, Lejeune JP, Baranzelli MC, Combelles C, Torrealba G (1986) Cerebellar medulloblastoma: results of multidisciplinary treatment. Reprot of 201 cases. Surg Neurol 25: 290–295

    Google Scholar 

  13. Evans AE, Jenkin TD, Sposto R, Ortega JA, Wilson CB, Wara W, Ertel IJ, Kramer S, Chang CH, Leikin SL, Hammond GD (1990) The treatment of medulloblastoma. Results of a prospective randomized trial of radiation therapy with and without CCNU, vincristine, and prednisone. J Neurosurg 72: 572–582

    Google Scholar 

  14. Farwell JR, Dohrmann GJ, Flannery JT (1984) Medulloblastoma in childhood: an epidemiological study. J Neurosurg 61: 657–664

    Google Scholar 

  15. Farwell JR, Flannery JT (1987) Adult occurrence of medulloblastoma. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 86: 1–5

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ferrante L, Mastronardi L, Celli P, Acqui M, Cervoni L, Fortuna A (1991) Medulloblastoma in adulthood. J Neurosurg Sci 35: 23–30

    Google Scholar 

  17. Giangaspero F (1989) Il Medulloblastoma. Quaderni di neuropatologia 5: 1–19

    Google Scholar 

  18. Haie C, Schlienger M, Costans JP, Meder JF, Reynaud A, Ghenim C (1985) Results of treatment of medulloblastoma in adults. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 11: 2051–2056

    Google Scholar 

  19. Harisiadis L, Chang CH (1977) Medulloblastoma in children: a correlation between staging and results of treatment. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2: 833–841

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hershatter BW, Halperin EC, Cox EB (1986) Medulloblastoma: the duke university medical center experience. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 12: 1771–1777

    Google Scholar 

  21. Hirakawa K, Suzuki S, Ueda S, Handa J (1986) Fetal origin of the medulloblastoma: evidence from growth analysis of two cases. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 70: 227–232

    Google Scholar 

  22. Hirsch JF, Renier D, Czernichow P (1979) Medulloblastoma in childhood: survival and functional results. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 48: 1–15

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hubbard JL, Scheithauer BW, Kispert DB, Carpenter SM, Wick MR, Laws ER (1989) Adult cerebellar medulloblastomas: the pathological, radiographic, and clinical disease spectrum. J Neurosurg 70: 536–544

    Google Scholar 

  24. Hughes EN, Shillito J, Sallan SE, Loeffler JS, Cassady JR, Tarbell NJ (1984) Medulloblastoma at the joint center for radiation therapy between 1968 and 1984. Cancer 61: 1992–1998

    Google Scholar 

  25. Hughes PG (1984) Cerebellar medulloblastomas in adults. J Neurosurg 60: 994–997

    Google Scholar 

  26. Kasantikul V, Shuangshoti S (1986) Cerebellar medulloblastomas: a study of 35 cases with particular reference to cellular differentiation. Surg Neurol 26: 532–541

    Google Scholar 

  27. Kopelson G, Linggood RM, Kleinman GM (1982) Medulloblastoma in adults: improved survival with supervoltage radiation therapy. Cancer 49: 1334–1337

    Google Scholar 

  28. Kopelson G, Linggood RM, Kleinman GM (1983) Medulloblastoma. The identification of prognostic subgroups and implications for multimodality management. Cancer 51: 312–319

    Google Scholar 

  29. LeBaron S, Zeltzer PM, Zeltzer LK, Scott SE, Marlin AE (1988) Assessment of quality of survival in children with medulloblastoma and cerebellar astrocytoma. Cancer 62: 1215–1222

    Google Scholar 

  30. Lefkowitz IB, Packer RJ, Ryan SG, Shah N, Alvi J, Rorke LB, Sutton LN, Schut L (1988) Late recurrence of primitive neuroectodermal tumor/medulloblastoma. Cancer 62: 826–830

    Google Scholar 

  31. Marty-Double C, Barneon G (1974) Le medulloblastome de l'adulte (a propos d'une serie de 22 cas). Ann Anat Pathol 19: 189–210

    Google Scholar 

  32. Massorotti M, Paoletti P, Gaini SM, Bollati A (1970) Resultats a distance du traitement du medulloblastome. Analyse de 115 cas operes. Minerva Neurochir 14: 92–99

    Google Scholar 

  33. Mazza C, Pasqualin A, Dal Pian R, Donati E (1981) Treatment of medulloblastoma in children: long-term results following surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 57: 163–175

    Google Scholar 

  34. Muller W, Afra D, Schroeder R, Slowik F, Wilcke O, Klug N (1982) Medulloblastoma: survey of factors possibly influencing the prognosis. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 64: 215–224

    Google Scholar 

  35. Packer RJ, Sutton LN, Rorke LB, Littman PA, Sposto R, Rosenstock JG, Bruce DA, Schut L (1984) Prognostic importance of cellular differentiation in medulloblastoma of childhood. J Neurosurg 61: 296–301

    Google Scholar 

  36. Packer JR, Sutton LN, Goldwein JW, Perilongo G, Bunin G, Ryan J, Cohen BH, D'Angio G, Kramer ED, Zimmerman RA, Rorke LB, Evans AE, Schut L (1991) Improved survival with the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of medulloblastoma. J Neurosurg 74: 433–440

    Google Scholar 

  37. Paillas JE, Hassoun J, Torres-Garcia P, Mitchotey P, Vialet G (1979) Les medulloblastomes de l'adulte. `Etude clinique, anatomique et therapeutique de dix-sept observations. Arch Anat Cytol Pathol 27: 78–84

    Google Scholar 

  38. Perun JG, Carcavilla L, Eiras J, Alberdi J, Pison J, Arana T (1987) Medulloblastomas: a review of 11 cases. Childs Nerv Syst 3: 361–363

    Google Scholar 

  39. Pobereskin L, Treip C (1986) Adult medulloblastoma. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 49: 39–42

    Google Scholar 

  40. Rivera-Luna R, Rueda-Franco F, Lanche-Guevara MT, Martinez-Guerra G (1987) Multidisciplinary treatment of medulloblastomas in childhood. Childs Nerv Syst 3: 228–231

    Google Scholar 

  41. Rorke LB (1983) The cerebellar medulloblastoma and its relationship to primitive neuroectodermal tumors. J Neuropath Exp Neurol 42: 1–15

    Google Scholar 

  42. Rubistein LJ (1975) The cerebellar medulloblastoma: its origin, differentiation, morphological variants, and biological behaviour. In Vinken PJ, Brujn GW Tumors of the brain and skull, Part III: Handbook of clinical neurology, Vol 18. North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 167–193

    Google Scholar 

  43. Rubistein LJ (1985) Embrional central neuroepithelial tumors and their differentiating potential. J Neurosurg 62: 795–805

    Google Scholar 

  44. Russel DS, Rubistein LJ (1977) Pathology of tumours of the nervous system. E Arnold, London, pp 435–489

    Google Scholar 

  45. Szymas J, Biczysko W, Gabryel P, Morkowski S (1987) Medulloblastoma: histological evaluation and prognosis. Childs Nerv Syst 3: 74–80

    Google Scholar 

  46. Tekkok IH, Suzer T, Ozgen T, Erbengi A (1991) Cerebellar medulloblastomas in adults. Neurosurg Rev 14: 135–140

    Google Scholar 

  47. Tomita T, McLone DG (1986) Medulloblastoma in childhood: results of radical resection and low-dose neuraxis radiation therapy. J Neurosurg 64: 238–242

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurological Sciences Neurosurgery, “La Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    A. Maleci, L. Cervoni & R. Delfini

Authors
  1. A. Maleci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. Cervoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Delfini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Maleci, A., Cervoni, L. & Delfini, R. Medulloblastoma in children and in adults: a comparative study. Acta neurochir 119, 62–67 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541783

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541783

Keywords

Search

Navigation