Phillip B. Storm, MD

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Phillip B. Storm, MD, is Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Areas of Expertise: Aneurysms, Arteriovenous malformation (AVM), Moyamoya disease, Spine tumors, Brain tumors, Complex spine, Hydrocephalus, Skull base surgery, Skull base tumors, Vascular malformations
Locations: Main Hospital

Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)

Background

I am chief of the Division of Neurosurgery and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and an attending neurosurgeon specializing in pediatric brain tumors. I operate on every type of brain tumor, but I have a particular interest in low-grade gliomas, medulloblastomas and atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) as well as skull-base tumors such as acoustic neuromas, craniopharyngiomas, and large ependymomas in cerebellopontine angle. With my otolaryngologist colleagues I am also developing an endonasal skull base program at CHOP.

It is my privilege to partner with The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, which is at the forefront of pediatric genetic research. Here we are working to develop new treatments that one day will help thousands of children with brain tumors. Currently, tissue from every brain tumor we treat is sent to the laboratory for sequencing to detect genetic abnormalities. Tumors that look identical under the microscope may in fact have significant genetic variations, explaining why one tumor may respond well to chemotherapy and radiation, and another may not. Our goal is to personalize the post-operative chemotherapy and radiation regimen by specifically targeting the treatment based on the genetic abnormality.

At CHOP we are also conducting research into the cell signaling mechanisms of brain tumors and are supported by several competitive grants including the NIH. Once we have identified an abnormality in the DNA code, the challenge is to then figure out how that abnormality translates into a functional abnormality. Once we understand that we have a new potential tumor target.

An example: we have recently found that the B-Raf gene is altered in many low- and high-grade gliomas in children. B-Raf is the same gene that is often abnormal in melanoma. Now we are collaborating with pharmaceutical companies who have already developed promising melanoma drugs and we have begun applying these medicines to our brain tumor specimens. If it turns out that a brain tumor with a B-Raf mutation behaves in the same way as melanoma, we could have an effective new treatment in the next few years.

There are countless reasons patients come to CHOP first for the best care. It is important for brain tumor patients to have their surgery at CHOP because we are currently unable to enroll tumors resected elsewhere into our genetic sequencing protocol. Without the genetic information not all the benefits of our groundbreaking research and experience would be available to the patient.

Ultimately, surgery is not the answer. We can take the tumor out but the biology of most of these tumors is such that they will come back. A cure for brain tumors lies in better understanding of their biology so we can develop more effective post-operative treatments to prevent them from recurring.

The collaborative spirit at CHOP is remarkable. Working with the basic science and tumor research teams, with access to the most advanced technology, we are now on an exciting precipice, poised for exponential growth in the near future. Hopefully in the next decade or two the new discoveries and therapies will put me out of the tumor business - which is really the ultimate goal.
 

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

Internship

General Surgery - Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD

Residency

Neurosurgery - Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD

Fellowship

Neuro-Oncology Research Fellow - Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
Pediatric Neurosurgery - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Board Certification

Neurological Surgery – American Board of Neurological Surgery

Titles and Academic Titles

Chief, Division of Neurosurgery

Leslie N. Sutton Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neurosurgery

Professor of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Departments and Services

Publications

Papers

2019

Heuer GG, Madsen PJ, Flanders TM, Kennedy BC, Storm PB, Taylor JA. Separation of Craniopagus Twins by a Multidisciplinary Team. N Engl J Med. 2019 Jan 24;380(4):358-364. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1805132.

2017

Pisapia JM, Akbari H, Rozycki M, Goldstein H, Bakas S, Rathore S, Moldenhauer JS, Storm PB, Zarnow DM, Anderson RCE, Heuer GG, Davatzikos C. Use of Fetal Magnetic Resonance Image Analysis and Machine Learning to Predict the Need for Postnatal Cerebrospinal Fluid Diversion in Fetal Ventriculomegaly. JAMA Pediatr. 2017 Dec 18. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.3993. [Epub ahead of print]

Pisapia JM, Rozycki M, Akbari H, Bakas S, Thawani JP, Moldenhauer JS, Storm PB, Zarnow DM, Davatzikos C, Heuer GG. Correlations of atrial diameter and frontooccipital horn ratio with ventricle size in fetal ventriculomegaly. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2017 Mar;19(3):300-306.

2014

Lang SS, Goldberg E, Zarnow D, Johnson MP, Storm PB, Heuer GG. Prenatal diagnosis of hemimegalencephaly. World Neurosurg. 2014 Jul-Aug;82(1-2):241.e5-8.

2010

Beslow LA, Ichord RN, Kasner SE, Mullen MT, Licht DJ, Smith SE, Storm PB, Jordan LC, Messé SR. ABC/XYZ estimates intracerebral hemorrhage volume as a percent of total brain volume in children. Stroke. 2010 Apr;41(4):691-4. Epub 2010 Feb 24. Cited in PubMed: PMID 20181678.

Marsh ED, Peltzer B, Brown MW 3rd, Wusthoff C, Storm PB Jr, Litt B, Porter BE. Interictal EEG spikes identify the region of electrographic seizure onset in some, but not all, pediatric epilepsy patients. Epilepsia. 2010 Apr;51(4):592-601. Epub 2009 Sep 22. Cited in PubMed: PMID 19780794.

2009

Heuer GG, Hardesty DA, Bhowmick D, Bailey R, Magge SN, Storm, PB. Treatment of pediatric atlantoaxial instability with harms fusion constructs. Eur Spine. Epub 2009 Apr 9. Cited in PubMed: PMID 19357876.

Posters and Presentations

May 2009, Grand Rounds Department of Neurosurgery, Abington Hospital, Abington, PA. Pediatric spine surgery and the FOP story.

Editorial and Academic Positions

2009, Faculty, AO Spine North America, Principles and Treatment of Spinal Disorders for Residents and Fellows, Las Vegas, NV
2009, Brain and Behavior Course for first year medical students at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
2009, Faculty, AO Spine North America, Principles and Treatment of Spinal Disorders for Residents and Fellows, Philadelphia, PA
2009, Faculty, Pediatric Spinal Deformity Residents Course, Philadelphia, PA