The Clinical Challenges of Pediatric Posterior Fossa Tumors

Pediatric brain tumors occur mainly in the posterior fossa. Clinicians encounter numerous difficulties and challenges in establishing the diagnosis. Symptomatology varies according to the location of tumor, its rate of progression, and the age of the child. Most of them are usually nonspecific and misinterpreted as common benign childhood disorders. Consequently, a significant delay arises between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis, despite the advent of high-resolution neuroimaging. This only leads to irreversible neurological damage and creates the pathway to a dismal prognosis. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the complexities in diagnosing pediatric posterior fossa tumors. A particular attention is offered to the nonspecific overlooked symptoms, highlighting the most frequent misdiagnosis. Clinical presentations for specific tumor subtypes are also provided. Prompt diagnosis requires an improvement in the awareness and familiarity of the clinician with the signs and symptoms associated with this type of malignancy.