Abstract
Abstract BACKGROUND The use of diagnostic neuroimaging in the care of pediatric patients continues to increase, leading to a rise in incidentally discovered lesions. The understanding of appropriate assessment and management of these findings is critical to providing comprehensive and timely care. This review aims to analyze the current literature to characterize diagnostic and prognostic characteristics of incidentally found brain tumors in pediatric patients. METHODS Using the guidelines under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA), Pubmed and Medline (NCBI) databases were searched using selected keyword combinations and machine learning-assisted software. Case reports, case series, and retrospective cohort studies published up to December 2023 were included. RESULTS A total of 20 studies encompassing 627 patients were included in the review. The most common indications for imaging were headache (204; 33%), seizures (96; 15%), and trauma (78; 12%). Of studies providing information regarding localization, lesions were found in the supratentorial region in 327 (52%) cases and infratentorial region in 190 (30%). Of studies reporting imaging characteristics, T1 hypointensity (183/302; 61%), T2 hyperintensity (410/497; 82%), and no contrast enhancement (58/97; 60%) were the most common findings. Four hundred and thirty (68%) patients were observed after diagnosis, 83 (13%) patients underwent surgical intervention at diagnosis, and 40 (6%) patients underwent surgery after observation. Of 91 patients with histopathology data available, pilocytic astrocytoma (19; 21%) was most commonly reported. CONCLUSION In this study, we provide a review of diagnostic characteristics of incidentally discovered brain tumors in the pediatric population. Management of such lesions has changed greatly over the past several decades, and risks of surgical intervention should be weighed against a more conservative management and interval monitoring approach. These results may help guide discussions regarding disclosure of findings and recommendations for additional clinical management.
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