Systematic review of the dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor characteristics

Objective: To gather the descriptions of dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT) characteristics described in the literature. Method: Systematic review of the clinical characteristics and evolution of DNT, topographic diagnosis, neuroimaging, anatomical and pathological findings and surgical response. The search was made in the Medline and Lilacs systems from 1988 until December 2005. Results: Found were 218 articles with115 selected to include the characteristics being investigated. Records of 952 patients with DNT were found from 115 articles, of which 446 (57.0%) were men. The minimum age ranged from 8 months to 75 years (average 14.2 years) and maximum age of 2 to 75 years (average 29.6 years). The average minimum age of epilepsy onset was 98.5 months (minimum 1 month; maximum 610 months). The average maximum age of epilepsy onset was 246.6 months (minimum 1 month; maximum 726 months). Epileptic seizures occurred in 96.4% and all fulfilled the criteria for drug-resistance. The neuroimaging showed the absence of peritumoral edema in 97.2% and lack of mass effect in 90.4%. The most frequent histopathologic finding was cellular heterogeneity with the presence of oligodendrocyte-like cells in 65.5%; nonspecific form occurring in 12.6%. Conclusion: DNT is a tumor that affects with similar proportion between men and women, mainly in young adults until the third decade of life, with epileptic seizures the main initial manifestations. Mass effect is not presented and oligodendrocyte-like cells are the most frequent findings.