Imaging and analysis of paediatric optic pathway glioma and craniopharyngioma: A case study

Brain and spinal cord tumours are the second most common types of cancer in children. Nevertheless, the main aetiology of brain tumours in children is not yet fully understood, although it may be associated with genetic and environmental factors. Whilst most optic nerve (pathway) gliomas are benign and slow-growing brain tumours inside or around the optic nerve, craniopharyngiomas form near the base of the brain close to the pituitary gland and are non-cancerous tumours. Common symptoms caused by brain tumours include seizures, headaches, weakness, and vision problems. However, paediatric brain tumours are typically misdiagnosed with a common headache, leading to delays in their diagnosis and increased mortality. Functional medical imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), provide detailed images that enable an analysis of their pathophysiology. This study describes the case of a deceased male child with optic pathway glioma and craniopharyngioma, including an analysis of his medical history and associated medical images. Five generations of the child’s family were investigated to understand if similar cancers occurred in his family. However, the child was the only one affected by cancer in his family. None of the treatments he underwent were found effective and the child died due to complications arisen from a delay in his diagnosis.