Pediatric Sellar: Suprasellar Tumors

Abstract

Tumors of the sellar region are not infrequent in pediatric population and differ notably from the adult sellar tumors. Craniopharyngiomas represent almost half of sellar region tumors in children, followed by hypothalamic-chiasmatic gliomas, hypothalamic hamartomas, and germinomas. Other tumors or tumoral lesions are more infrequent. This article provides an overview of the imaging characteristics of pediatric sellar/suprasellar tumors on conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging that can orient the diagnosis or limit the differential diagnostic range. Furthermore, the physiologic characteristics assessed by advanced MR imaging techniques are also described in detail, providing a better preoperative characterization of pediatric sellar/suprasellar pathology.

Keywords

pediatric sellar/suprasellar tumors - craniopharyngioma - hypothalamic-chiasmatic glioma - hypothalamic hamartoma - germinoma

• References

• 1 Bourekas EC, Miller JW, Christoforidis GA. Masses of the sellar and juxtasellar region. In: Drevelegas A, ed. Imaging of Brain Tumors with Histological Correlations. Spinger; 2002: 227-252
• 2 Plaza MJ, Borja MJ, Altman N, Saigal G. Conventional and advanced MRI features of pediatric intracranial tumors: posterior fossa and suprasellar tumors. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2013; 200 (5) 1115-1124
• 3 Johnsen DE, Woodruff WW, Allen IS, Cera PJ, Funkhouser GR, Coleman LL. MR imaging of the sellar and juxtasellar regions. Radiographics 1991; 11 (5) 727-758
• 4 Saleem SN, Said AHM, Lee DH. Lesions of the hypothalamus: MR imaging diagnostic features. Radiographics 2007; 27 (4) 1087-1108
• 5 Mohammad FF, Hasan DI, Ammar MG. MR Spectroscopy and diffusion MR imaging in characterization of common sellar and supra-sellar neoplastic lesions. The Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine 2014; 45: 859-867
• 6 Caldarelli M, Massimi L, Tamburrini G, Cappa M, Di Rocco C. Long-term results of the surgical treatment of craniopharyngioma: the experience at the Policlinico Gemelli, Catholic University, Rome. Childs Nerv Syst 2005; 21 (8–9) 747-757
• 7 Karavitaki N, Brufani C, Warner JT , et al. Craniopharyngiomas in children and adults: systematic analysis of 121 cases with long-term follow-up. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2005; 62 (4) 397-409
• 8 Mottolese C, Szathmari A, Berlier P, Hermier M. Craniopharyngiomas: our experience in Lyon. Childs Nerv Syst 2005; 21 (8–9) 790-798
• 9 Shields R, Mangla R, Almast J, Meyers S. Magnetic resonance imaging of sellar and juxtasellar abnormalities in the paediatric population: an imaging review. Insights Imaging 2015; 6 (2) 241-260
• 10 Pathak SS. MRI imaging of sellar and suprasellar pathologies–a pictorial assay. Poster presented at: Annual Meeting of the European Congress of Radiology; March 4–8, 2015; Vienna, Austria. Poster C-0333
• 11 Vinhais S, Nunes S, Salgado D , et al. Optic gliomas in children – A review on MR imaging findings. Poster presented at: Annual Meeting of the European Congress of Radiology; March 4–8, 2015; Vienna, Austria. Poster C-1676
• 12 Cattin F. Chiasmatic and hypothalamic gliomas. In: Bonneville JF, Bonneville F, Cattin F, Nagi S, eds. MRI of the Pituitary Gland. Springer; 2016: 211-216
• 13 Avery RA, Fisher MJ, Liu GT. Optic pathway gliomas. J Neuroophthalmol 2011; 31 (3) 269-278
• 14 Fouladi M, Wallace D, Langston JW , et al. Survival and functional outcome of children with hypothalamic/chiasmatic tumors. Cancer 2003; 97 (4) 1084-1092
• 15 Chong AL, Pole JD, Scheinemann K , et al. Optic pathway gliomas in adolescence—time to challenge treatment choices?. Neuro-oncol 2013; 15 (3) 391-400
• 16 Douglas-Akinwande AC, Ying J, Momin Z , et al. Diffusion-Weighted Imaging characteristics of primary central nervous system germinomas with histopathologic correlation. Acad Radiol 2009; 16 (11) 1356-1365
• 17 Kawabata Y, Takahashi JA, Arakawa Y, Shirahata M, Hashimoto N. Long term outcomes in patients with intracranial germinomas: a single institution experience of irradiation with or without chemotherapy. J Neurooncol 2008; 88 (2) 161-167
• 18 Maity A, Shu HK, Janss A , et al. Craniospinal radiation in the treatment of biopsy-proven intracranial germinomas: twenty-five years' experience in a single center. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2004; 58 (4) 1165-1170
• 19 Kanamori M, Kumabe T, Saito R , et al. Optimal treatment strategy for intracranial germ cell tumors: a single institution analysis. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2009; 4 (6) 506-514
• 20 Freeman JL, Coleman LT, Wellard RM , et al. MR imaging and spectroscopic study of epileptogenic hypothalamic hamartomas: analysis of 72 cases. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2004; 25 (3) 450-462
• 21 Amstutz DR, Coons SW, Kerrigan JF, Rekate HL, Heiserman JE. Hypothalamic hamartomas: Correlation of MR imaging and spectroscopic findings with tumor glial content. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2006; 27 (4) 794-798
• 22 Guaraldi F, Storr HL, Ghizzoni L, Ghigo E, Savage MO. Paediatric pituitary adenomas: a decade of change. Horm Res Paediatr 2014; 81 (3) 145-155
• 23 Mindermann T, Wilson CB. Pediatric pituitary adenomas. Neurosurgery 1995; 36 (2) 259-268
• 24 Webb C, Prayson RA. Pediatric pituitary adenomas. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2008; 132 (1) 77-80