Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a brain tumor that occurs most frequently in children and teenagers. At Boston Children's Hospital, the average age at diagnosis is 12 years. Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a brain tumor that occurs most frequently in children and teenagers. At Boston Children's Hospital, the average age at diagnosis is 12 years. Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma usually develops within the supratentorial region (the area of the brain located above the tentorium cerebelli). It is generally located superficially (in the uppermost sections) in the cerebral hemispheres and involves the leptomeninges. It rarely arises from the spinal cord. These tumors are formed through the mitosis of astrocytes. They are found in the area of the temples, in the brain's frontal lobe or on top of the parietal lobe. In about 20% of cases, tumors exist in more than one lobe.