What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to assess the safety and effectiveness of combining laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) with surgical tumor resection in a pediatric case.

April 10, 2026Open Access

Laser insterstitial thermal therapy followed by craniotomy for tumor resection for pediatric diffuse midline glioma: illustrative case

Key Points

The aim is to assess the safety and effectiveness of combining laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) with surgical tumor resection in a pediatric case.
Conducted a case study involving a pediatric patient with diffuse midline glioma.
Utilized laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) for debulking prior to craniotomy.
Assessed tissue consistency and surgical complexity during the procedure.
Observed that post-LITT tissue had a firmer consistency than expected.
Noted that the surgical complexity was comparable to resection without pre-resection LITT.
Indicated that combined approach is feasible even for challenging deep lesions.

Abstract

This case study demonstrated the feasibility and safety of combined LITT with tumor resection, even in a pediatric patient, for debulking deep lesions that would be difficult to treat with either LITT or resection alone. However, intraoperatively the authors found that the post-LITT tissue had a firmer consistency than anticipated with poor borders, resulting in similar surgical complexity as resection of similar lesions without pre-resection LITT. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE251030.

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