Imaging Features of Infratentorial Desmoplastic Infantile and Non-Infantile Tumors

Abstract

Purpose : To describe imaging features of infratentorial desmoplastic infantile or non-infantile tumors (DIT/DNIT).

Materials and Methods : Four cases with infratentorial DIT/DNIT from our hospital and 5 cases from literature review were analyzed. Clinical data and MR imaging features were evaluated including location, size, shape, margin, composition, dural attachment, perilesional edema, and metastasis or multiplicity.

Results : The mean age was 9.2 years (range, 1?18 years). Most of the patients presented with headache or vomiting (4/9, 44.4%) and had no underlying disease (8/9, 88.9%). The major pathologic subtype was astrocytoma (6/9, 66.7%). On MR, majority of the tumors involved cerebellum and/or spinal cord (8/9, 88.9%) and the mean size of the tumors was 4.2 cm (range, 3.2?5 cm). The tumors were mainly solid (4/9, 44.4%) or mixed (4/9, 44.4%) in composition with lobulated shape (7/9, 77.8%) and well-defined margin (7/9, 77.8%). Two cases (2/7, 28.6%) showed dural attachment and all the cases had no or minimal perilesional edema (100%). Metastasis or multiplicity was frequently seen in 44.4% (4/9).

Conclusion : Infratentorial DIT/DNIT occurred in relatively older children and the major tumor type was astrocytoma. They also had atypical imaging features showing mainly solid or mixed in composition with frequent metastasis or multiplicity.