Symptoms of PXA may disappear, or improve progressively, after treatment. For example:

- Symptoms related to increased pressure in the brain often disappear after surgical removal of the tumor.

- Effects like seizures might progressively improve as recovery progresses.

- Steroid treatment is often used to control tissue swelling that may occur before and after surgery.

Surgery is often the treatment of choice. Total resection (removal of the tumor) is often possible. However, the best choice of treatment will depend on many individual factors, including:

- The patient's medical history and overall health condition

- The type, location, and size of the tumor

- The patient's age

- How well the patient tolerates specific medications, procedures, or therapy

- How slowly or quickly the tumor is expected to progress

If surgery is performed and the tumor is completely resected, further treatment may not be required. The patient will, however, need repeated MRIs to monitor for tumor re-growth.

For tumors that recur, another surgical resection might be attempted. For tumors that could not be completely removed, radiation therapy may also be recommended. Also called radiotherapy, this treatment uses high-energy radiation to damage or kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

Chemotherapy is the preferred secondary treatment after resection. The treatment kills astroblastoma cells left behind after surgery and induces a non-dividing, benign state for remaining tumor cells. Normally, chemotherapy is not recommended until the second required resection, implying that the astroblastoma is a high-grade tumor continuing to recur every few months. A standard chemotherapy protocol starts with two rounds of nimustine hydrochoride (ACNU), etoposide, vincristine, and interferon-beta. The patient undergoes a strict drug regimen until another surgery is required. By the third surgery, should recurrence in the astroblastoma occur, a six-round program of ifosfamide, cisplatin, and etoposide will "shock" the patient's system to the point where recurrence halts. Unfortunately, chemotherapy may not always be successful with patients requiring further resection of the tumor, since the tumor cell begins to show superior vasculature and a strong likelihood of compromising a patient's well-being. Oral ingestion of temozolomide for at-home bedside use may be preferred by the patient.

Even after surgery, an oligoastrocytoma will often recur. The treatment for a recurring brain tumor may include surgical resection, chemo and radiation therapy. Survival time of this brain tumor varies - younger age and low-grade initial diagnosis are factors in improved survival time.

The goal of radiation therapy is to kill tumor cells while leaving normal brain tissue unharmed. In standard external beam radiation therapy, multiple treatments of standard-dose "fractions" of radiation are applied to the brain. This process is repeated for a total of 10 to 30 treatments, depending on the type of tumor. This additional treatment provides some patients with improved outcomes and longer survival rates.

Radiosurgery is a treatment method that uses computerized calculations to focus radiation at the site of the tumor while minimizing the radiation dose to the surrounding brain. Radiosurgery may be an adjunct to other treatments, or it may represent the primary treatment technique for some tumors. Forms used include stereotactic radiosurgery, such as Gamma knife, Cyberknife or Novalis Tx radiosurgery.

Radiotherapy may be used following, or in some cases in place of, resection of the tumor. Forms of radiotherapy used for brain cancer include external beam radiation therapy, the most common, and brachytherapy and proton therapy, the last especially used for children.

Radiotherapy is the most common treatment for secondary brain tumors. The amount of radiotherapy depends on the size of the area of the brain affected by cancer. Conventional external beam "whole-brain radiotherapy treatment" (WBRT) or "whole-brain irradiation" may be suggested if there is a risk that other secondary tumors will develop in the future. Stereotactic radiotherapy is usually recommended in cases involving fewer than three small secondary brain tumors.

People who receive stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) for the treatment of metastatic brain tumors have more than twice the risk of developing learning and memory problems than those treated with SRS alone.

The primary and most desired course of action described in medical literature is surgical removal (resection) via craniotomy. Minimally invasive techniques are becoming the dominant trend in neurosurgical oncology. The prime remediating objective of surgery is to remove as many tumor cells as possible, with complete removal being the best outcome and cytoreduction ("debulking") of the tumor otherwise. In some cases access to the tumor is impossible and impedes or prohibits surgery.

Many meningiomas, with the exception of some tumors located at the skull base, can be successfully removed surgically.

Most pituitary adenomas can be removed surgically, often using a minimally invasive approach through the nasal cavity and skull base (trans-nasal, trans-sphenoidal approach). Large pituitary adenomas require a craniotomy (opening of the skull) for their removal. Radiotherapy, including stereotactic approaches, is reserved for inoperable cases.

Several current research studies aim to improve the surgical removal of brain tumors by labeling tumor cells with 5-aminolevulinic acid that causes them to fluoresce. Postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy are integral parts of the therapeutic standard for malignant tumors. Radiotherapy may also be administered in cases of "low-grade" gliomas when a significant tumor burden reduction could not be achieved surgically.

Multiple metastatic tumors are generally treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy rather than surgery and the prognosis in such cases is determined by the primary tumor, and is generally poor.

Radiation therapy selectively kills astroblastoma cells while leaving surrounding normal brain tissue unharmed. The use of radiation therapy after an astroblastoma excision has variable results. Conventional external beam radiation has both positive and negative effects on patients, but it is not recommended at this point to treat all types. All in all, the radiosensitivity of astroblastoma to therapy remains unclear, since some research advocate its effectiveness while others diminish the effects. Future studies must be done on patients with both total excision and sub-excision of the tumor to accurately assess whether radiation benefits patients under different circumstances.

If resected, the surgeon will remove as much of this tumor as possible, without disturbing eloquent regions of the brain (speech/motor cortex) and other critical brain structure. Thereafter, treatment may include chemotherapy and radiation therapy of doses and types ranging based upon the patient's needs. Subsequent MRI examination are often necessary to monitor the resection cavity.

Because of the rarity of these tumors, there is still a lot of unknown information. There are many case studies that have been reported on patients who have been diagnosed with this specific type of tumor. Most of the above information comes from the findings resulting from case studies.

Since Papillary Tumors of the Pineal Region were first described in 2003, there have been seventy cases published in the English literature. Since there is such a small number of cases that have been reported, the treatment guidelines have not been established. A larger number of cases that contain a longer clinical follow-up are needed to optimize the management of patients with this rare disease.

Even though there is a general consensus on the morphology and the immunohistochemical characteristics that is required for the diagnosis, the histological grading criteria have yet to be fully defined and its biological behavior appears to be variable. This specific type of tumor appears to have a high potential for local recurrence with a high tumor bed recurrence rate during the five years after the initial surgery. This suggests the need for a tumor bed boost radiotherapy after surgical resection.

As stated above, the specific treatment guidelines have not yet been established, however, gross total resection of the tumor has been the only clinical factor associated overall and progression-free survival. The value of radiotherapy as well as chemotherapy on disease progression will need to be investigated in future trials. With this information, it will provide important insight into long-term management and may further our understanding of the histologic features of this tumor.

Lorazepam and clonazepam are front line treatment for severe convulsions, belonging to the benzodiazepine class of medications.

Anticonvulsants are the most successful medication in reducing and preventing seizures from reoccurring. The goal of these medications in being able to reduce the reoccurrence of seizures is to be able to limit the amount of rapid and extensive firing of neurons so that a focal region of neurons cannot become over-activated thereby initiating a seizure. Although anticonvulsants are able to reduce the amount of seizures that occur in the brain, no medication has been discovered to date that is able to prevent the development of epilepsy following a head injury. There are a wide range of anticonvulsants that have both different modes of action and different abilities in preventing certain types of seizures. Some of the anticonvulsants that are prescribed to patients today include: Carbamazepine (Tegretol), Phenytoin (Dilantin Kapseals), Gabapentin (Neurontin), Levetiracetam (Keppra), Lamotrigine (Lamictal), Topiramate (Topamax), Tiagabine (Gabitril), Zonisamide (Zonegran) and Pregabalin (Lyrica).

Surgical removal of the tumor, adjuvant chemotherapy prior to tumor removal, and liver transplantation have been used to treat these cancers. Primary liver transplantation provides high, long term, disease-free survival rate in the range of 80%, in cases of complete tumor removal and adjuvant chemotherapy survival rates approach 100%. The presence of metastases is the strongest predictor of a poor prognosis.

Gelastic seizures are usually not responsive to pharmacotherapy. They can produce secondary seizure characteristics which may respond to medications or surgery. These options are not a guaranteed cure, and depend primarily on the individual patient’s pathology.

The treatment depends on the cause of the seizures. If the seizures are caused by a tumor, surgical removal can be attempted. However, surgical removal is not always an immediate cure, and there can be complications. Complications can include cerebral infarcts, and cognitive deterioration. Hormonal treatment can be attempted to help individuals with precocious puberty. Anti-epileptic drugs could be an option as well depending on the patient’s criteria. These drugs could include carbamazepine, clobazam, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine and topiramate. However, usually none of these medications are capable of stopping the seizures from occurring, and like any medication, there may be undesirable side effects. There is also a specialized form of radiotherapy that may be an option depending on the tumor type and location. Once again, there are very few areas in the world that offer this treatment. Gamma knife radiosurgery can be the treatment of choice when it comes to hypothalamic hamartomas. It is a low risk option due to its lower frequency of neurological deficits. It is recommended for patients with tumors that don’t come into contact with the optic chiasm.

Pituicytoma is a rare brain tumor. It grows at the base of the brain from the pituitary gland. This tumor is thought to be derived from the parenchymal cells of the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, called pituicytes. Some researchers believe that they arise from the folliculostellate cells in the anterior lobe of the pituitary. As such, it is a low-grade glioma. It occurs in adults and symptoms include visual disturbance and endocrine dysfunction. They are often mistaken for pituitary adenomas which have a similar presentation and occur in the same location. The treatment consists of surgical resection, which is curative in most cases.

Treatment options depend on the type of tumor and on its size:

- Prolactinomas are most often treated with cabergoline or quinagolide (both dopamine agonists), which decrease tumor size as well as alleviates symptoms, followed by serial imaging to detect any increase in size. Treatment where the tumor is large can be with radiation therapy or surgery, and patients generally respond well. Efforts have been made to use a progesterone antagonist for the treatment of prolactinomas, but so far have not proved successful.

- Somatotrophic adenomas respond to octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analog, in many but not all cases according to a review of the medical literature. Unlike prolactinomas, thyrotrophic adenomas characteristically respond poorly to dopamine agonist treatment.

- Surgery is a common treatment for pituitary tumors. The normal approach is Trans-sphenoidal adenectomy, which usually can remove the tumor without affecting the brain or optic nerves.

- Danazol is a steroid compound that has been labelled as an "Anterior pituitary suppressant".

Treatment of any kind of complex visual hallucination requires an understanding of the different pathologies in order to correctly diagnose and treat. If a person is taking a pro-hallucinogenic medication, the first step is to stop taking it. Sometimes improvement will occur spontaneously and pharmacotherapy is not necessary. While there is not a lot of evidence of effective pharmacological treatment, antipsychotics and anticonvulsants have been used in some cases to control hallucinations. Since peduncular hallucinosis occurs due to an excess of serotonin, modern antipsychotics are used to block both dopamine and serotonin receptors, preventing the overstimulation of the lateral geniculate nucleus. The drug generically called carbamazepine increases GABA, which prevents the LGN from firing, thereby increasing the inhibition of the LGN. Regular antipsychotics as well as antidepressants can also be helpful in reducing or eliminating peduncular hallucinosis.

More invasive treatments include corrective surgery such as cataract surgery, laser photocoagulation of the retina, and use of optical correcting devices. Tumor removal can also help to relieve compression in the brain, which can decrease or eliminate peduncular hallucinosis. Some hallucinations may be due to underlying cardiovascular disease, so in these cases the appropriate treatment includes control of hypertension and diabetes. As described, the type of treatment varies widely depending on the causation behind the complex visual hallucinations.

Treatment is often largely dependent on the type of cyst. Asymptomatic cysts, termed pseudocysts, normally require active monitoring with periodic scans for future growth. Symptomatic (producing or showing symptoms) cysts may require surgical removal if they are present in areas where brain damage is unavoidable, or if they produce chronic symptoms disruptive to the quality of life of the patient. Some examples of cyst removal procedures include: permanent drainage, fenestration, and endoscopic cyst fenestration.

Ependymomas make up about 5% of adult intracranial gliomas and up to 10% of childhood tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). Their occurrence seems to peak at age 5 years and then again at age 35. They develop from cells that line both the hollow cavities of the brain and the canal containing the spinal cord, but they usually arise from the floor of the fourth ventricle, situated in the lower back portion of the brain, where they may produce headache, nausea and vomiting by obstructing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. This obstruction may also cause hydrocephalus. They may also arise in the spinal cord, conus medullaris and supratentorial locations. Other symptoms can include (but are not limited to): loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, temporary inability to distinguish colors, uncontrollable twitching, seeing vertical or horizontal lines when in bright light, and temporary memory loss. It should be remembered that these symptoms also are prevalent in many other illnesses not associated with ependymoma.

About 10% of ependymomas are benign myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE). MPE is a localized and slow-growing low-grade tumor, which originates almost exclusively from the lumbosacral nervous tissue of young patients. On the other hand, it is the most common tumor of the lumbosacral canal comprising about 90% of all tumoral lesions in this region.

Although some ependymomas are of a more anaplastic and malignant type, most of them are not anaplastic. Well-differentiated ependymomas are usually treated with surgery. For other ependymomas, total surgical removal is the preferred treatment in addition to radiation therapy. The malignant (anaplastic) varieties of this tumor, malignant ependymoma and the ependymoblastoma, are treated similarly to medulloblastoma but the prognosis is much less favorable. Malignant ependymomas may be treated with a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Ependymoblastomas, which occur in infants and children younger than 5 years of age, may spread through the cerebrospinal fluid and usually require radiation therapy. The subependymoma, a variant of the ependymoma, is apt to arise in the fourth ventricle but may occur in the septum pellucidum and the cervical spinal cord. It usually affects people over 40 years of age and more often affects men than women.

Extraspinal ependymoma (EEP), also known as extradural ependymoma, may be an unusual form of teratoma or may be confused with a sacrococcygeal teratoma.

Ependymoma is a tumor that arises from the ependyma, a tissue of the central nervous system. Usually, in pediatric cases the location is intracranial, while in adults it is spinal. The common location of intracranial ependymoma is the fourth ventricle. Rarely, ependymoma can occur in the pelvic cavity.

Syringomyelia can be caused by an ependymoma.

Ependymomas are also seen with neurofibromatosis type II.

Successful management of seizures plays a key role in improving quality of life. Antiepileptic medications are the main therapies for seizures; however, it appears that seizures in this syndrome do not respond well to drugs. In the cases reported in literature, numerous new and old antiepileptic drugs have been tried, but no one drug appears to be more efficacious than others. Therefore, no recommendations can be made regarding the selection of the most appropriate antiepileptic drug. As not all cases of ring chromosome 20 syndrome are the same, different individuals may respond to treatment in different ways.Alternates to antiepileptic drug treatment include the ketogenic diet and vagus nerve stimulation but not epilepsy surgery.

A neurosurgeon may open a portion of the body and insert a shunt into cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) filled cysts to allow drainage into CSF pathways. The fluid from the cyst is then drained into the abdomen, the body reabsorbs the fluid (reabsorption of fluid does not cause any harm). This type of surgical treatment is often performed to relieve pressure on the brain from a cyst within the cerebral cortex.

A subependymoma is a type of brain tumor; specifically, it is a rare form of ependymal tumor.

The prognosis for a subependymoma is better than for most ependymal tumors, and is considered a grade I tumor in the World Health Organization (WHO) classification.

They are classically found within the fourth ventricle, typically have a well demarcated interface to normal tissue and do not usually extend into the brain parenchyma, like ependymomas often do.

The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate diet reserved for intractable childhood epilepsies. There are no published reports on the use of the ketogenic diet in patients with ring chromosome 20 syndrome. However, its efficacy and safety are well established in other difficult to control epilepsy syndromes.

Papillary tumors of the pineal region (PTPR) were first described by A. Jouvet et al. in 2003 and were introduced in the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of Central Nervous System (CNS) in 2007. Papillary Tumors of the Pineal Region are located on the pineal gland which is located in the center of the brain. The pineal gland is located on roof of the diencephalon. It is a cone shaped structure dorsal to the midbrain tectum. The tumor appears to be derived from the specialized ependymal cells of the subcommissural organ. Papillary tumors of the central nervous system and particularly of the pineal region are very rare and so diagnosing them is extremely difficult.

An ependymal tumor is a type of brain tumor that begins in cells lining the spinal cord central canal (fluid-filled space down the center) or the ventricles (fluid-filled spaces of the brain). Ependymal tumors may also form in the choroid plexus (tissue in the ventricles that makes cerebrospinal fluid). Also called ependymoma.