ABTA primer excerpt Copyright ABTA
“Desmoplastic Infantile Astrocytoma (DIA)
DIAs are very rare grade I astrocytomas. These large, cystic tumors are usually diagnosed in infants under the age of two, although in some circumstances they have been seen in children and young adults. They tend to arise in the supratentorium – the area above the membrane that separates the cerebral hemispheres from the posterior fossa of the brain. It is not uncommon for these tumors to grow quite large and spread through more than one lobe of the brain. Symptoms usually include an increase in the size of the bay’s head, hard and bulging fontanelles (the “soft spots” of the infant’s skull), and eyes that focus downward. Seizures, hyperactive reflexes, and a palsy of the sixth and seventh nerve may also be seen.
Skull xrays may show changes in the bone near the tumor, and a large mass is commonly seen on MRI. Despite the size of these tumors and the young patient age, surgical removal of all visible tumor often results in long term tumor control.”