Surgical Treatment of Pediatric Incidentally Found Brain Tumors: A Single-Center Experience

There remains much debate about the correct management of incidentally found brain tumors in the pediatric population. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of surgical treatment of incidentally found pediatric brain tumors. A retrospective analysis of pediatric patients who underwent surgical resection of incidentally found brain tumors between January 2010 and April 2016 was performed. A total of seven patients were included. The median age at the time of diagnosis was 9.7 years. The reasons for performing neuroimaging were as follows: impeded speech development (n = 2), shunt control (n = 1), paranasal sinuses control (n = 1), behavior changes (n = 1), head trauma (n = 1), and preterm birth (n = 1). Five patients underwent gross total tumor resection (71.4%), while subtotal resection was performed in two patients (28.6%). There was no surgery-related morbidity. Patients were followed up for a mean of 79 months. One patient with atypical neurocytoma experienced tumor recurrence 45 months following primary resection. All patients remained neurologically intact. The majority of pediatric incidentally found brain tumors were histologically benign. Surgery remains a safe therapeutic approach associated with favorable long-term outcomes. Considering the expected long lifetime of pediatric patients, as well as the psychological burden associated with having a brain tumor as a child, surgical resection can be considered an initial approach.