Pilocytic astrocytoma epidemiology
The most common glioma in pediatrics (age 0–19 years) with an incidence of 0.82/100,000 1).
Pilocytic astrocytoma, a WHO Grade I tumor, is the most common pediatric brain tumor between 5 and 14 years of age and the second most common in children younger than 5 and older than 14. Although classical to the cerebellum and hypothalamic regions, it can also arise in the spinal cord 2).
Pilocytic astrocytoma is considered the most common subtype of pediatric intracranial tumor. Through bioinformatics analysis, Wang et al. suggested that NCKAP1L, GPR37L1, CSPG4, PPFIA4, and C8orf46 are potential biomarkers for the pilocytic astrocytoma diagnosis 3).
The incidence progressively declines after age 15. Slight male predilection. Usually presents during second decade of life (ages 10–20).2 75% occur in age < 20 years 4).
Its most common location is the cerebellum and it develops during the first two decades of life., and is one of the commonest subtypes of glioma to affect children.
They are rarely diagnosed in patients over the age of 18 years.
In adults, these tumours appear more frequently supratentorially than in the cerebellum and some reports suggest a different clinical course in adults.