Knight James, Karsonovich Torin, De Jesus Orlando
King's College Hospital London
Baylor College of Medicine
Pilocytic astrocytoma, previously referred to as cystic cerebellar astrocytoma or juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma, was first described in 1931 by Harvey Cushing based on a case series of cerebellar astrocytomas. Pilocytic astrocytomas are low-grade, usually benign, slow-growing, well-circumscribed brain tumors that tend to occur in the pediatric population and also young adults. This condition arises from astrocytes—the star-shaped cells that support nerve cells in the brain. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors, pilocytic astrocytomas are grade I gliomas with a generally good prognosis. While pilocytic astrocytomas most often occur in the cerebellum, they can also be found along the optic pathways, hypothalamus, and brainstem. These tumors may also occur in the cerebral hemispheres, though this is more common in young adults. The presentation and treatments for pilocytic astrocytomas vary based on their location; however, this article will focus on cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas. According to the new 2021 WHO classification of CNS tumors, pilocytic astrocytomas are grouped with other circumscribed astrocytic gliomas, such as pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, and choroid gliomas.
毛细胞型星形细胞瘤，以前称为囊性小脑星形细胞瘤或青少年毛细胞型星形细胞瘤，于1931年由哈维·库欣根据一系列小脑星形细胞瘤病例首次描述。毛细胞型星形细胞瘤是低级别的，通常为良性、生长缓慢、边界清晰的脑肿瘤，倾向于发生在儿童人群以及年轻成年人中。这种病症起源于星形胶质细胞——大脑中支持神经细胞的星形细胞。根据世界卫生组织（WHO）对中枢神经系统（CNS）肿瘤的分类，毛细胞型星形细胞瘤是I级胶质瘤，预后通常良好。虽然毛细胞型星形细胞瘤最常发生在小脑，但也可在视路、下丘脑和脑干中发现。这些肿瘤也可能发生在大脑半球，不过在年轻成年人中更为常见。毛细胞型星形细胞瘤的表现和治疗方法因其位置而异；然而，本文将重点关注小脑毛细胞型星形细胞瘤。根据2021年WHO对CNS肿瘤的新分类，毛细胞型星形细胞瘤与其他边界清晰的星形细胞胶质瘤归为一组，如多形性黄色星形细胞瘤、室管膜下巨细胞星形细胞瘤和脉络丛胶质瘤。
