Introduction
Brain tumors are the most common solid tumors diagnosed among children below 15 years worldwide. However, little is known about the profile of pediatric brain tumors in Africa. The purpose of this study was to further elaborate the epidemiological profile of pediatric brain tumors in Africa, specifically Morocco.
Methods
A retrospective review was conducted of all patients with primary brain tumors in the age group 0–19 years, from 2003 to 2007, from multiple centers in two cities of Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco. Only patients with histopathological confirmation were included (n=542). Descriptive epidemiologic profiles were created for the patients by age, sex, and histological subtypes of brain tumors.
Results
Overall medulloblastoma was the most common brain tumor (34.5%), followed by pilocytic astrocytoma (17.3%) and diffuse astrocytoma grade 2 (12.5%). Brain tumors occurred most commonly in 5–9-year age group followed by 10–14-year age group with the former being more common among males and the latter being more common among females. We also found medulloblastoma to be the most common brain tumor in the 0–14-year-olds.
Conclusions
In this rare study focused on pediatric brain tumors in Morocco, most of the findings were consistent with past studies from other parts of the world. However, we found medulloblastoma to be the most common pediatric brain tumor followed by astrocytoma.
Lymphoma is the second most common neoplasm of the head and neck after squamous cell carcinoma. Nearly 24% to 48% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma can arise in extranodal localizations and 3% to 5% of which were primarily located in the oral cavity. Waldeyer ring is the most frequently involved site. The authors report 2 cases of primary extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the oral cavity, not of the Waldeyer ring.
Carcinoma arising in pleomorphic adenoma is a rare entity. A case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma occurring in the soft palate of a 40-year-old woman is reported. An intraoral excision of the tumor was performed. Histopathological examination revealed high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma proliferated in pleomorphic adenoma with free surgical margin. The patient received adjuvant neck radiotherapy. She remains free of disease 16 months post-treatment.
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