Topical Review Article Endoscopic Management of Intraventricular Brain Tumors in Pediatric Patients: A Review of Indications, Techniques, and Outcomes

Endoscopic neurosurgical techniques have enabled pediatric neurosurgeons to treat a number of conditions in a minimally invasive manner. In addition to its pivotal role in the treat-ment of hydrocephalus, endoscopy is increasingly being used in the management of intraventricular brain tumors. Endo-scopy has become the first-line modality for obtaining tumor samples from many intraventricular tumors, some of which do not ultimately need aggressive surgical treatment. Endo-scopic techniques enable simultaneous treatment of hydroce-phalus with tumor biopsy, saving patients an additional procedure. Endoscopy may also be used for complete excision of intraventricular tumors in selected cases. Overall, sur-geries performed endoscopically are less invasive than con-ventional open neurosurgery and often enable shorter lengths of hospital stay and decreased costs. This article reviews endoscopic management of intraventricular tumors in children with a focus on indications, techniques, and out-comes. Relevant case examples are provided to illustrate the utility of these procedures