Brain Tumors in Children
Just like adults, children can also develop brain tumors. “A true tumor is cells that are multiplying faster than they’re supposed to in an abnormal way,” said Dr. Spinks.
Once a tumor is found, Pediatric Neurosurgeon Dr. Theodore Spinks said the question people often ask is if it’s benign or malignant. However, “Inside the skull, any tumor can be a problem. There are many benign tumors that are slow growing that are not likely to spread. That’s the difference. A malignant tumor grows faster, and is more likely to spread, but there are many benign tumors in the brain that are still a problem, that we still have to treat.”
That’s because the tumor can start putting the brain under pressure. There are many different surgical approaches to brain tumors, it mainly depends on where it is. Dr. Spinks has a computer guidance system that helps make surgery as safe as possible. “I can in the operating room take a pointer and point at a spot on the head and see where it is on the MRI, which helps me locate the tumor and avoid more sensitive areas of the brain that may cause paralysis, or speech problems, or so forth,” said Dr. Spinks.
There are also minimally invasive approaches, “Including a small tube retractor where we still require a hole in the skull, but it allows a very small hole in the skull, and it’s still a good resection of the tumor,” said Dr. Spinks. You can learn more about pediatric neurosurgery by searching for it on leehealth.org.
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