Author(s) :
Nouhalia Kanouni1, Samia Khalfi1, Kaoutar Soussy1, Wissal Hasani1, Fatima Zahra Farhane1, Zenab Alami1, Touria Bouhafa1
Department of Radiotherapy, Hassan II University Hospital, Fez, Morocco
Corresponding author: Nouhalia Kanouni, Email: nouhaila.kanouni@usmba.ac.ma
Publication History: Received - 28 September 2025, Revised - , Accepted - 30 August 2026, Published Online - 30 September 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 The author(s). Published by Casa Cărții de Știință.
User License: Creative Commons Attribution – NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)
Share
Abstract
Background: Pediatric brainstem gliomas are rare tumors, accounting for approximately 10 % of all pediatric brain tumors, and are associated with a poor prognosis. The aim of this work was to report the outcomes of children treated for brainstem gliomas in our department.
Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients younger than 14 years who were treated for brainstem glioma between October 2016 and December 2021 in the Department of Radiotherapy at Hassan II University Hospital, Fez.
Results: Our series included nine patients (five girls and four boys) with a median age of 8 years (range 2–14 years). The clinical presentation was heterogeneous: motor deficits or gait disturbance occurred in six patients, and signs of raised intracranial pressure in four. Diagnosis was based on MRI findings in all patients; only one child underwent stereotactic biopsy, and none underwent tumor resection. All patients received radiotherapy. At the last follow-up, four children were alive and five had died.
Conclusion: Although radiotherapy for pediatric brainstem gliomas is not curative, it remained the standard treatment in the pre-molecular era preceding the 2021 WHO classification, with the aim of relieving clinical symptoms and improving life expectancy.