Rare Tumours of the Central Nervous System in Childhood

Central nervous system (CNS) tumours diagnosed in childhood (0–17 years old) are always a rare occurrence. However, there are certain sub-types of CNS tumours that occur so infrequently in the paediatric age range that they can present unique challenges in terms of recognition, characterization, and treatment. Bio-banking of rare tumour samples, neuropathology consensus statements and state-of-the-art diagnostic tools help us establish patterns of recognition; using that to share clinical experience and treatment approaches will hopefully lead to improved patient outcomes. In this chapter, we present an overview of the approach to the concept of very rare paediatric CNS tumours with a focus on a few examples within this category.