Our Experience of Posterior Fossa Tumors Surgeries

Abstract

Objective:  In Neurosurgery Unit III, Punjab Institute of Neurosciences, Lahore, we evaluated our posterior fossa tumor surgery results, complications, and surgical outcomes. Materials and Methods:  Between January 2017 and September 2021, 80 patients with posterior fossa tumors who underwent surgical excision at the Neurosurgery Department-III of the Punjab Institute of Neurosciences in Lahore were studied retrospectively. For each patient, the diagnosis was made clinically and confirmed radiologically and histopathologically. Results:  Males comprised 47 percent (37) of the 80 cases, while females made up 53 percent (43). The average age was 15 (with a range of 6 – 30 years). Medulloblastomas were the most frequent pathology in 25 patients (31%), followed by ependymomas in 21 patients (26%), pilocytic astrocytomas in 19 patients (24%), and hemangioblastomas in 7 individuals (8.8%). There were four cases of metastatic brain cancers (5%), two cases of choroid plexus papilloma (2.5%), one case of ganglioglioma (1.3%), and one case of Dermoid cyst (1.3%). In 90 percent of the cases (72 cases), gross total resection was obtained, while subtotal excision was performed in 10% of the cases (8 cases). The best results were seen in pilocytic astrocytoma surgery, followed by ependymoma surgery, whereas the worst results were seen in medulloblastoma surgery. Conclusion:  The surgical treatment of posterior fossa tumors still poses a significant challenge to neurosurgeons. Our experience shows that accepted results, complications, and surgical outcomes can be obtained by meticulous surgical techniques from previous clinical studies.