Between 1989 and 1995 156 children and adolescents with IT of the midline(sellar, suprasellar or pineal) were studied at the Endocrine S. of Garrahan Pediatric Hospital. Distribution of cell types by age and sex is shown in the table (female F and males M) Table

Table 1
Full size table

In Prep the most frequent oncotypes were GLIA (37.9%), CRA (27.6%) and GERM(13.8%) and in Pub Pit (37.5%, CRA (27.5%) and GERM 12.5%. In Prep, the incidence of M in CRA and in GERM was significantly higher than that of F(p<0.001) but no sex difference was seen in Pub. To evaluate precocious puberty a subgroup of 77 patients younger than 8 (F) or 9(M) years (y) of age was defined. Twenty patients (26%) had started sexual development: GLIA 6, GERM 4, HAMA 7 and Subarach cyst or Arachnoidocele 3. All HAMA were younger and all other precocious puberties older than 3 y old. It is concluded that: 1) CRA and GERM, Two embryonic cell tu. and more frequent in M and CRA develop earlier in M. 2) PIT are more frequent in Pub, 3) every precocious puberty younger than 3 y old with a supraselar tumoral image is probably a HAMA.