Thalamic gliomas

Thalamic tumors constitute less than 5% of all intracra-nial tumors, with half of these presenting in childhood. They are often grouped with other tumors of the area, e.g., diencephalic and mesencephalic, which tend to behave differently, rendering accurate analysis of case series difficult. Traditionally, surgery as sole therapy has resulted in poor outcomes in these patients. However, the advent of improved imaging modalities enabling accurate anatomical localization and delineation, and the progress in anesthetic and microsurgical techniques, has meant that over the last few decades a more aggressive surgical approach is able to be undertaken. We have analyzed our personal experience (69 cases over the past 15 years) and those cases available in the literature in order to define management strategies for patients afflicted with these challenging tumors.