Table 2. General characteristics of the included studies.
| Study | Study design, setting and country | Number of children, subtype if available | Mean age (years) at diagnosis, range/SD (years) | Gender (M/F) | Tumour location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Mefty, 1985 [99] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Saudi Arabia | 20 | (2–17), except one 23-year old man | 10/10 | NR |
| 2 | Albright, 2005 [51] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 44 | Micro neurosurgical tumor resection: 11, 12 (6–18)*; | NR | NR |
| P-32: 7, 7 (3–17)*; | ||||||
| GKSR: 13, 13 (5–18)* | ||||||
| 3 | Ali, 2013 [54] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 7 | 9.6 (5–14) | 6/1 | Sellar and suprasellar 5 (71.4%), suprasellar 1 (14.3%), suprasellar and third ventricle 1 (14.3%) |
| 4 | Ammirati, 1988 [71] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Germany | 3 | 13 (8–17) | 0/3 | Retrochiasmatic 4 (100%) |
| 5 | Anderson, 1989 [53] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 2 | 13.5 (12–15) | 2/0 | NR |
| 6 | Ansari, 2016 [62] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 9 | 6.7 (3–15) | 6/3 | NR |
| 7 | Artero, 1984 [107] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Spain | 24 | 24 patients < 20 years | NR | NR |
| 8 | Ashkenazi, 1990 [82] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Israel | 12 | NR (only for children & adults together) | NR (for all ages: 11/9) | NR |
| For children & adults: sellar extension 19/20, third ventricular 14/20 | ||||||
| 9 | Bartlett, 1971 [35] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 30 | < 15 years | NR (for all ages: 42/43) | NR |
| 10 | Behari, 2003 [81] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, India | 2 | 13.5 (11–16) | 2/0 | Intraventricular 2 (100%) |
| 11 | Bialer, 2013 [84] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Israel | 20 | 6.5, SD 3.88 | 10/10 | NR |
| 12 | Boekhoff, 2019 [70] | RS, 1 cohort (PS follow-up), MC, Germany | 218 | 9.5 (1.3–17.9)*: | 104/114: | SymCP: extrasellar 44 (20.6%), intra- and extrasellar 153 (71.5%), intrasellar 3 (1.4%), not applicable 14 (6.5%); |
| Adamantinomatous | Symptomatic CP 9.6 (1.3–17.9) | symCP 101/113 | ||||
| Incidental CP 8.1 (3.7–15.2) | incCP: 3/1 | IncCP: extrasellar 2 (50%), intra- and extrasellar 2 (50%) | ||||
| 13 | Cai, 2019 [76] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, China | 5 | 9.4 (3–13) | 4/1 | NR |
| 14 | Caldarelli, 2005 [90] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Italy | 52 | 9 (1.67–15.8) | 33/19 | Intrasellar 3 (5.8%), sellar/suprasellar with prominent prechiasmatic growth 24 (46.2%), retrochiasmatic/third ventricular 14 (26.9%), giant (with an extension into the middle and/or posterior cranial fossae) 11 (21.2%) |
| 15 | Capatina, 2018 [106] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Romania | 35 | 12.6, SD 4.2 | 16/19 | NR |
| 16 | Chamlin, 1955 [52] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 18 | NR | NR | NR |
| 17 | Chen, 2003 [6] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Australia | 17 | 10 | NR (for all ages: 17/19) | Children & adults: suprasellar 35 (97.2%), sellar 1 (2.8%) |
| 9 Squamous | ||||||
| 6 Adamantinomatous | ||||||
| 2 NR | ||||||
| 18 | Cherninkova, 1990 [102] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Bulgaria | 50 | 9.5 | NR | NR |
| 19 | d’Avella, 2019 [91] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Italy | 8 | 10.8 (8–16) | NR (8/4 including patients who had been previously surgically treated) | Supradiaphragmatic preinfundibular 2 (25%), supradiaphragmatic preinfundibular suprasellar 1 (12.5), supradiaphragmatic retroinfundibular 1 (12.5) infradiaphragmatic intra-suprasellar 3 (37.5%), infradiaphragmatic intra para-suprasellar 1 (12.5%) |
| 20 | Drimtzias, 2014 [72] | PS and RS, 1 cohort, SC, UK | 20 | 7.3 (1.25–13.75) | 10/10 | Suprasellar 20 (100%) |
| 21 | Erşahin, 2005 [101] | RS, 1 cohort, MC, Turkey | 87 | 10.2 (1.67–18) | 51/36 | Suprasellar 57 (66%), extended to third ventricle 22 (25%), temporal fossa 1 (1%), anterior cranial fossa 1 (1%), retroclival 4 (5%), temporal and posterior cranial fossa 2 (2%) |
| 22 | Fisher, 1998 [43] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 30 Adamantinomatous | 8.5, SD 5.3. 8.2 (0.74–18.9)* | 14/16 | Suprasellar 14 (47%), suprasellar and sellar 16 (53%) |
| 23 | Fouda, 2019 [63] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 135 | 8.5* (1–21) | 70/65 | Suprasellar 135 (100%): sellar extension 53 (39%) and third ventricular extension 56 (41%) |
| 24 | Gautier, 2012 [73] | RS, 1 cohort, two-center, France | 65 | < 10 years: 5.5 (4–6)*; | NR | < 10 year: intrasellar 1 (3.1%), extrasellar 9 (28.1%), intra/extrasellar 24 (75%); 10–18 year: intrasellar 3 (10.3%), extrasellar 8 (27.6%), intra/extrasellar 18 (62.1%) |
| 10–18 years: 12.5 (11–15)* | ||||||
| 25 | Gerganov, 2014 [67] | RS, CS, SC, Germany | 1 Adamantinomatous | 14 | NR | Suprasellar, retrosellar and intraventricular 1/1 |
| 26 | Goldenberg-Cohen, 2011 [83] | RS, CS, SC, Israel | 4 | 4.9 (2.5–7.1) | 2/2 | NR |
| 27 | Gonc, 2004 [31] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Turkey | 66 | 8.4 (0.33–16.2) | 30/36 | Supra- and intrasellar 38 (58.5%), suprasellar 26 (41%), intrasellar 1 (1.5%) |
| 28 | Greenfield, 2015 [60] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 24 | 7 (2–17.8)* | 12/12 | NR |
| 29 | Haghighatkhah, 2010 [104] | RS, CS, NR, Iran | 5 | 8.2 (6–12) | 2/2 | Suprasellar and sellar 2 (40%), suprasellar 2 (40%), posterior cranial fossa 1 (20%) |
| 30 | Hakuba, 1985 [86] | RS, CS, SC, Japan | 3 | 7.7 (6–10) | 3/0 | Suprasellar 3 (100%) |
| 31 | Hoff, 1972 [37] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 16 | (0.18–13) | 6/10 | NR |
| 32 | Hoffman, 1977 [25] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Canada | 48 | N = 17: (2–6) | 24/24 | NR |
| N = 31: (7–16) | ||||||
| 33 | Hoffman, 1992 [89] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Canada | 50 | At time of surgery: 9.39 (1.83–17.58) | 28/22 | Prechiasmatic 25 (50%), retrochiasmatic 23 (46%), sellar 2 (4%) |
| 34 | Hoffmann, 2015 [68] | RS, 1 cohort (PS follow-up), MC, Germany | 411 | NR | NR | Intrasellar 5 (1,2%), suprasellar 61 (14,8%), intra- and suprasellar 169 (41,1%). |
| 35 | Honegger, 1999 [26] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Germany | 30 | NR | NR | NR |
| 36 | Hoogenhout, 1984 [93] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, The Netherlands | 12 | (0–15) | 9/3 | Children & adults: intra- and extrasellar 7 (25%), extrasellar 22 (75%) |
| 37 | Im, 2003 [97] | RS, CS, SC (except one case who had been treated at another hospital), Korea | 6 | 10.7 (5–14) | 2/4 | Intrasellar (pre-chiasmatic) 6 (100%) |
| 38 | Jane Jr., 2010 [64] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 11 | 12.3 (7–16) | 6/5 | Sellar and/or suprasellar 10 (90.9%), third ventricle 1 (9.1%) |
| 39 | Jung, 2010 [98] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Korea | 17 | 12 (4–18)* | 12/5 | Suprasellar 10 (58.8%), supra- and intrasellar 7 (41.2%) |
| 40 | Karavitaki, 2005 [48] | RS, 1 cohort, MC, UK | 42 | 10 (2.5–15)* available in n = 35 | 23/19 | Intrasellar 1 (2.9%), extrasellar 13 (38.2%), intra- and extrasellar 20 (58.8%) available in n = 34 |
| 41 | Kennedy, 1975 [39] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, UK | 14 | (0–13) | NR (for all ages: 22/23) | NR |
| 42 | Kiran, 2008 [79] | RS, case reports (2x), SC, India | 2 | 8 (6–10) | 1/1 | Suprasellar with extension into the third ventricle and subtemporal extension to the left side with posterior extension 1 (50%), suprasellar with extension into third ventricle and posterior fossa 1 (50%) |
| 43 | Kramer, 1960 [38] | RS, CS, MC, UK | 6 | 10 (6.5–14) | 5/1 | Suprasellar 4 (66.7%) |
| 44 | Lee, 2008 [108] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Taiwan | 66 | 8.02, SD 4.28; | 40/26 | Intrasellar 27 (40.9%), third ventricular 39 (59.1%) |
| 7.0 (1.42–17.58)* | ||||||
| 45 | Lena, 2005 [24] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, France | 47 | N = 7: < 3 years | 27/20 | Intrasellar 14 (29.8%): anterosuperior extension 9, pure intrasellar 3 and intrasphenoidal extension 2; infundibulotuberous 25 (53.2%); pure intraventricular 1 (2.1%); global/giant 7 (14.9%) |
| N = 10: (3–5) | ||||||
| N = 18: (6–10) | ||||||
| N = 12: > 10 years | ||||||
| 46 | Leng, 2012 [58] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 3 | 10.3 (5–15) | 2/1 | Sellar, suprasellar, retrochiasmatic 2 (67%); sellar, suprasellar, subchiasmatic 1 (33%) |
| 47 | Merchant, 2002 [65] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 30 | 8.6 (1–15)* | 13/17 | NR |
| 48 | Mohd-Ilham, 2019 [7] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Malaysia | 11 | 9.5 (3–16) | 7/4 | Suprasellar 11 (100%) |
| 49 | Mottolese, 2001 [33] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, France | 14 | NR | NR | NR |
| 50 | Nielsen, 2012 [103] | RS, 1 cohort, MC, Denmark | 39 | < 15 years | NR | Intrasellar 27 (75%), intrasellar only 1 (2.7%), parasellar 10 (28.6%), suprasellar 36 (97.3%) |
| 51 | Ohmori, 2007 [28] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 27 | 9.0 (2–17) | 17/10 | NR |
| 52 | Ono, 1996 [87] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Japan | 19 | 8.1 (2–17)* | 11/8 | Prechiasmatic 11 (45.8%), retrochiasmatic 7 (29.2%), sellar 1 (4.2%) |
| Adamantinomatous | ||||||
| 53 | Pascual, 2018 [55] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 35 | 11.4 (5–18) | 18/17 | Suprasellar pseudointraventricular 7 (20.0%), infundibulo-tuberal 6 (15.8%), sellar/suprasellar-secondary intraventricular 15 (39.5%), sellar/suprasellar 6 (15.8%), all intracranial spaces (giant) 1 (2.63%)* |
| Adamantinomatous | ||||||
| 54 | Patel, 2017 [56] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 10 | 11.5 (5.9–15.0) | 6/4 | Sellar- and suprasellar 4 (40%), sellar, suprasellar and intraventricular 1 (10%), sellar, suprasellar and subchiasmatic 1 (10%), suprasellar 3 (30%), extracranial, infrasellar, nasal cavity and sphenoid sinus 1 (10%) |
| 55 | Puget, 2007 [14] | RS and PS, 2 cohorts, SC, France | 88 | RS cohort: 7.4 (1–16)*; | RS cohort: 42/24; PS cohort: 13/9 | Prechiasmatic 20 (30%), retrochiasmatic 60 (91%), intraventricular 45 (68%), intrasellar 46 (70%) |
| PS cohort: 8 (2.8–14)* | ||||||
| 56 | Qi, 2012 [77] | RS, 1 cohort (2 subgroups), SC, China | 81 | Group A: 8.26 ± 4.03; | Group A: 23/11 | Group A: intra- and infrasellar 34 (42.0%); |
| Group B: 9.15 ± 3.83 | Group B: 26/21 | Group B: third ventricle: 47 (58%) | ||||
| 57 | Quon, 2019 [57] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 16 | 11.8 (5.9–16)* | 11/5 | Suprasellar extension 15 (94%), NR 1 (6%) |
| 58 | Rath, 2013 [96] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Australia | 10 | 9.4 (2.4–17.6) | NR | NR |
| Adamantinomatous | ||||||
| 59 | Richmond, 1980 [61] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 21 | 0–4 years: 4/21, 5–8 years: 4/21, 9–12 years: 8/21, 13–16 years: 1/21, 17–20 years: 4/21 | 11/10 | NR |
| 60 | Salunke, 2016 [80] | RS, case reports, SC, India | 2 | 12.3 (8–18) | 2/1 | Suprasellar 2 (66%); suprasellar with erosion of sphenoid bone 1 (33%) |
| 61 | Sankhla, 2015 [27] | RS, cohort, SC, India | 6 | 13 (10–15) | 4/2 | NR |
| 62 | Shammari, 2012 [100] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Saudi Arabia | 2 | NR (only for children & adults together) | 1/1 | Suprasellar 2 (100%) |
| 63 | Shi, 2017 [78] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, China | 348 | 9.17 | 218/130 | NR |
| Adamantinomatous | ||||||
| 64 | Sogg, 1977 [109] | RS, CS, center NR, country NR | 2 | 7.5 (6–9) | 0/2 | Third ventricle, tuber cinereum and the pituitary stalk 1 (50%), NR 1 |
| 65 | Stahnke, 1984 [29] | RS, cohort, SC, Germany | 28 | 8.4, SD 3.3 (2.5–14.5) | 17/11 | Suprasellar 13 (46.4%), intra- and suprasellar 11 (39.3%), intrasellar 4 (14.3%) |
| 66 | Suharwardy, 1997 [9] | RS, cohort, SC, UK | 5 | NR | NR | NR |
| 67 | Synowitz, 1977 [69] | RS, CS, SC, Germany | 3 | 8.3 (6–12) | NR | Sellar 1 (33%), suprasellar 1 (33%), NR 1 (33%) |
| 68 | Tamasauskas, 2014 [105] | RS, CS, SC, Lithuania | 9 | 8.0 (0.83–17) | 6/3 | Suprasellar 3 (33%), suprasellar and intrasellar 3 (33%), suprasellar, intrasellar and parasellar 1 (11%), suprasellar, parasellar and retrosellar 1 (11%), suprasellar and parasellar 1 (11%) |
| Adamantinomatous 8, Papillary 1 | ||||||
| 69 | Tan, 2017 [42] | RS, 3 cohorts, MC, UK | 185 | Group A: 6.60 (1.00–16.40), 7.70 (NA), Group B: 8.60 (7.23–9.99), 9.01 (3.83–16.00), 10.6 (3.50–16.20), 10.80 (1.50–15.50) | 85/100 | NR |
| 70 | Taphoorn, 2002 [94] | RS, CS, SC, The Netherlands | 3 | 10.3 (6–13) | 2/1 | Foramen intraventriculare 1 (33%), suprasellar with chiasm compression & enlargement ventricles 1 (33%), sellar 1 (33%) |
| 71 | Taylor, 2012 [74] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, France | 56 | 7.5 (6.6–8.5); | 36/20 | NR |
| 7.0 (4.9–9.9)* | ||||||
| 72 | Thomsett, 1980 [32] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 42 | 9.2 (1.8–17.2) | 24/18 | NR |
| 73 | Tomita, 2005 [66] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 54 | 8.2 (0.92–16)* | 28/26 | NR |
| 74 | Villani, 1997 [92] | RS, 1 cohort (PS follow-up), SC, Italy | 27 | 11 (6–16) | NR | Intrasellar 2 (7.4%), intrasuprasellar 13 (48.2%), suprasellar extraventricular 7 (25.9%), intra- and extra-ventricular 4 (14.8%), intraventricular 1 (3.7%) |
| 75 | Vries de, 2003 [85] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Israel | 36 | 9.2. 7.8 (0.3–22.2)* | 19/17 | NR |
| 76 | Wan, 2018 [10] | RS, CS, SC, Canada | 59 | 9.4 (0.7–18.0) | 27/32 | NR |
| 77 | Weiss, 1989 [59] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 31 | 9.9 (1–19)* | 12/19 | NR |
| 78 | Wijnen, 2017 [95] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, The Netherlands | 63 | 8 (5–12)* | 25/38 | Intrasellar 3 (5%), suprasellar 23 (38%), intra- and suprasellar 34 (57%) |
| 79 | Winkfield, 2011 [34] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, USA | 79 | At initial treatment: 8.5 (0.8–24.7)* | 43/36 | NR |
| 80 | Yamada, 2018 [88] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Japan | 45 | At time of surgery: 9.6 (0.8–17.9) | 37/28 | Subdiaphragmatic 26 (58%): 3 sellar, 23 suprasellar; supradiaphragmatic 19 (42%): 1 purely intraventricular |
| 81 | Yano, 2016 [19] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, Japan | 26 | 7.3 (4–14) | 10/16 | NR |
| 82 | Yu, 2015 [46] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, France | 15 | 6.9 (0.25–14) | 9/6 | Sellar region with extension to the posterior cranial fossa 15 (100%) |
| 83 | Zhang, 2008 [30] | RS, 1 cohort, SC, China | 202 | 9.3 ± 3.6 (1–15) | 115/87 | NR |
| 84 | Zhou, 2009 [75] | RS, CS, SC, China | 5 | 12 (9–18) | 3/2 | Posterior fossa 5 (100%): sellar 5 (100%), extension to cerebellopontine angle 5 (100%), infraclivus 2 (40%) |
Studies in italics indicate studies retrieved by reference screening.
* Median age.
CS: case series. UK: United Kingdom. USA: United States of America. GKSR: gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery. MC: multicenter. NR: not reported. PS: prospective. P-32: phosphorus-32. RS: retrospective. SC: single-center.