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Brain stem gliomas
Brain stem gliomas are located in the brain stem, which attaches the cerebrum to the rest of the head and spinal cord. Most brain stem gliomas occur in the pons and are called
pontine gliomas.
The pons (Latin for
"
bridge
"
) is a band of nerve fibers linking the medulla oblongata and cerebellum to the upper portions of the brain. Brain stem gliomas rarely spread to other areas of the brain or to the spinal cord. Approximately three fourths of patients with brain stem gliomas are younger than 20. In the United States, brain stem gliomas make up about 2 percent of all brain tumors in adults and about 10 percent to 15 percent of all childhood brain tumors. Treatment of brain stem gliomas in the midbrain or medulla is generally more successful than gliomas affecting the pons.
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