Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Español

diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma

(dih-FYOOS in-TRIN-sik PON-teen glee-OH-muh)
A rare, fast-growing tumor that forms in cells called glial cells in a part of the brain stem called the pons. Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas tend to spread to nearby tissue and other parts of the brain stem, are hard to treat, and have a poor prognosis (outcome). They usually occur in children. Also called DIPG.
More Information
Anatomy of the brain; the right panel shows the supratentorial area (the upper part of the brain) and the posterior fossa/infratentorial area (the lower back part of the brain). The supratentorial area contains the cerebrum, lateral ventricle and third ventricle (with cerebrospinal fluid shown in blue), choroid plexus, pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and optic nerve. The posterior fossa/infratentorial area contains the cerebellum, tectum, fourth ventricle, and brain stem (midbrain, pons, and medulla). The spinal cord is also shown. The left panel shows the cerebrum, ventricles (fluid-filled spaces), meninges, skull, cerebellum, brain stem (pons and medulla), and spinal cord.Enlarge this image in new window
Anatomy of the brain. The supratentorial area (the upper part of the brain) contains the cerebrum, lateral ventricle and third ventricle (with cerebrospinal fluid shown in blue), choroid plexus, pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and optic nerve. The posterior fossa/infratentorial area (the lower back part of the brain) contains the cerebellum, tectum, fourth ventricle, and brain stem (midbrain, pons, and medulla). The skull and meninges protect the brain and spinal cord.
Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms