CHALLENGES IN RADIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS: CRANIOPHARYNGIOMA VS ASTROCYTOMA.

Abstract

Brain tumors in children and adults differ not only in their cellular characteristics but also in where they typically develop in the brain. In children, 30% of pediatric brain tumors are supratentorial lesions. Low-grade astrocytomas, as pilocytic astrocytoma or craniopharyngioma, are the most common tumors. In this study we describe the case of a 6-year-old male patient, diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 3, presented to the Pediatric Neurology Clinic for routine check-up. During this visit, it was noticed that the patient has recently experienced frequent epileptic attacks regardless of antiepileptic therapy, and other symptoms such as headache, vomiting, visual problems and tiredness. During these several years of treatment, the patient was never referred for MRI or CT scans of the head. The patient was finally referred to a radiologist for further evaluation and imaging studies. MRI of the head in correlation with CT was performed, due to suspicion of a secondary cause for these epileptic seizures. These imaging studies ultimately identified an unexpected outcome and a real challenge in the right diagnosis.