Corpus callosal tumors: A decade of surgical management unmasking clinical complexity and biological heterogeneity
Joshi Jignesh, Balasubramaniam Srikant, Mahima Manoj SaptarshiAbstract
Background:
Tumors involving the corpus callosum present significant diagnostic and surgical challenges due to their deep midline location, infiltrative behavior, and impact on interhemispheric white-matter pathways. Despite historically being considered unresectable, advances in imaging, neuronavigation, and microsurgical techniques have renewed interest in surgical management.
Objective:
To evaluate the clinical presentation, radiological features, surgical approaches, and postoperative outcomes of patients with corpus callosal tumors treated at a tertiary care neurosurgical center.
Materials and Methods:
A retrospective observational study was conducted on 79 adult patients with radiologically confirmed butterfly tumors of the corpus callosum, who underwent surgical intervention between January 2011 and January 2021. Demographic data, presenting symptoms, imaging characteristics, surgical details, histopathology, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed.
Results:
Headache and hemiparesis were the most common presenting symptoms, and most patients had preserved preoperative functional status. The genu was the most frequently involved callosal segment, with extensive frontal and cingulate extension in many cases. Partial debulking was the predominant surgical strategy, reflecting the infiltrative nature of these tumors. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were infrequent. Glioblastoma was the most common histopathological diagnosis, although a heterogeneous tumor spectrum was observed. At 3 months, most patients showed neurological improvement or stability, despite the rarity of complete tumor removal.
Conclusion:
Surgical intervention for corpus callosal tumors, when guided by advanced imaging and tailored operative planning, can be performed with acceptable morbidity and may provide meaningful functional benefits. Definitive tissue diagnosis remains essential due to the diverse histopathological spectrum.