Surgical management of tumors of the choroid plexus

The surgical approach to choroid plexus neoplasms varies according to their location within the ventricular system. Specific approaches include transcortical incisions through the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and parietal lobe and transcallosal approaches for tumors within the third ventricle and the trigone of the lateral ventricles. Suboccipital approaches are used for posterior fossa choroid plexus tumors involving the fourth ventricle or cerebellopontine angle. Treatment of hydrocephalus, frequently associated with choroid plexus tumors, often requires ventricular shunting for optimal management even if a gross total resection is achieved. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy appear to provide no benefit as adjunctive therapies for benign papillomas and exhibit little efficacy for disseminated choroid plexus carcinomas. Surgical excision offers the best treatment for choroid plexus papillomas, although the surgical outcome for carcinomas of the choroid plexus remains unclear.