Central Neurocytoma

Abstract

A thorough investigation of the long-term outcomes of central neurocytoma (CN) after different treatments is required to establish optimal management strategies. We retrospectively reviewed the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with CN according to various treatments and suggest treatment strategies based on 30 years of experience in a single institution. Fifty-eight consecutive patients with CN were treated at our institution between 1982 and 2008. Patient demographics, overall survival, local control rates according to multimodal treatments, and functional outcomes were evaluated. The mean clinical and radiological follow-up periods were 119 months (range, 18-304 months) and 98 months (range, 13-245 months), respectively. The initial treatment modality was classified into 4 subgroups: operation only (34 patients), operation followed by radiation therapy (7 patients) or radiosurgery (7 patients), and radiosurgery alone (10 patients). The actuarial overall survival was 91% at 5 years and 88% at 10 years. The actuarial overall survival and local tumor control rate did not differ significantly according to the various treatments and the initial extent of the surgical resection. However, functional outcomes, such as the postoperative seizure outcome at the last follow-up, differed according to the surgical approach. The long-term clinical outcomes of CN after multimodal treatment seem to be excellent. Our study suggests that treatment strategies for CN should focus on the patient's quality of life, as well as on tumor control, because of the benign nature of CN.