Posterior Fossa Tumors (principles Of Pediatric Neurosurgery)

It is estimated that the functionally significant body of knowledge for a given medical specialty changes radically every 8 years. New specialties and "sub-specialization" are occurring at approximately an equal rate. Historically, established journals have not been able either to absorb this increase in publishable material or to extend their readership to the new specialists. International and national meetings, symposia and seminars, workshops, and newsletters suc­ cessfully bring to the attention of physicians within developing spe­ cialties what is occurring, but generally only in demonstration form without providing historical perspective, pathoanatomical corre­ lates, or extensive discussion. Page and time limitations oblige the authors to present only the essence of their material. Pediatric neurosurgery is an example of a specialty that has de­ veloped during the past 15 years. Over this period neurosurgeons have obtained special training in pediatric neurosurgery and then dedicated themselves primarily to its practice. Centers, Chairs, and educational programs have been established as groups of neuro­ in different countries throughout the world organized surgeons themselves respectively into national and international societies for pediatric neurosurgery. These events were both preceded and fol­ lowed by specialized courses, national and international journals, and ever-increasing clinical and investigative studies into all aspects of surgically treatable diseases of the child's nervous system. Front Matter....Pages i-x Epidemiology and Classification of Posterior Fossa Tumors in Children....Pages 1-11 Functional Basis of Posterior Fossa Tumor Symptoms and Signs....Pages 12-21 Biology and Microscopic Morphology of Posterior Fossa Tumors....Pages 22-48 Experimental Pathology as a Basis for Understanding the Biology of Posterior Fossa Tumors....Pages 49-55 Imaging of the Pediatric Posterior Fossa: Normal Anatomy and Brain Tumors....Pages 56-79 Ventricular Shunts and Drainage in the Management of Posterior Fossa Tumors....Pages 80-85 What a Neurosurgeon Should Know About Anesthesia for Posterior Fossa Tumors....Pages 86-105 Basic Techniques in Approaching Posterior Fossa Tumors....Pages 106-135 Surgical Principles and Operative Results....Pages 136-146 Operative Adjuncts: Laser....Pages 147-157 Evoked Potentials in Posterior Fossa Surgical Lesions: Basic Principles and Intraoperative Monitoring....Pages 158-168 Chemotherapy of Childhood Posterior Fossa Tumors....Pages 169-188 New Postoperative Clinical Syndromes....Pages 189-193 Intellectual and Psychosocial Complications of Posterior Fossa Tumor Surgery and Supplemental (Radiation Therapy/Chemotherapy) Treatment....Pages 194-200 Family and the Child with a Posterior Fossa Tumor....Pages 201-210 Back Matter....Pages 211-214 The chapters of Posterior Fossa Tumors are selected and arranged to provide the reader with embryological, developmental, epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic, and psychosocial aspects of each subject, thus permitting each specialist to learn what is most current in his field and to familiarize himself with sister fields of the same subject. Each chapter is organized along classical lines, progressing from introduction through symptoms and treatment, to prognosis for clinical material; and introduction through history and data, to results and discussion for experimental material.