Epidemiology of primary brain tumors in childhood and adolescence in Kuwait

Abstract

The relatively high frequency of primary brain tumors (PBT) observed in childhood and adolescence in Kuwait has necessitated this epidemiological study. It is based on the records of the Department of Pathology, Al-Sabah Hospital, which examined all brain tumor biopsies done in this age group in Kuwait between 1995 and 2011. During this period, 75 boys (49%) boys and 77 (51%) girls had histologically confirmed PBT. They comprised 122 children (0–14 years) and 30 adolescents (15–19 years). The boys/girls ratio was 1.03 in childhood and 0.76 in adolescence. The age-adjusted incidence rate was 11.2/ million person-years. Early childhood (0–4 years) had the peak frequency of tumors (33%), highest adjusted age-specific incidence rate (3.8/million person-years) of all tumors and the least boys/girls rates ratio (0.38) for astrocytic tumors. Low grade and high grade tumors peaked in 5–9 and 0–4 years respectively. Risk factors (hereditary syndromes or previous radio-therapy) were identified in three patients. Three (2%) tumors were congenital. High grade tumors comprised 47% of childhood and 23% of adolescence PBT. The most common tumors in childhood were astrocytoma (37%), embryonal tumors (31%), ependymoma (8%), and in adolescence astrocytoma (27%), pituitary adenoma (23%) and glioblastoma (13%). Embryonal tumors formed 44% of PBT in early childhood. Gliomas constituted 54% and 43% of all PBT, but 25% and 57% of high grade tumors in childhood and adolescence respectively. Most common tumor locations were cerebellum (47%), ventricles (19%) and cerebral lobes (17%) in childhood and pituitary (30%), cerebellum (27%) and 13% each for cerebral lobes and ventricles in adolescence. Approximately 57% of childhood and 23% of adolescence PBT were infratentorial.In conclusion, despite the high relative frequency of PBT before the age of 20 years in Kuwait, its incidence rate is apparently low. Compared with Western countries, Kuwait has a lower incidence of malignant gliomas, but a higher frequency of cerebellar and intraventricular tumors. Embryonal tumors are remarkably common in early childhood.

Histological types of the primary intracranial tumors among children in Dammam, Saudi Arabia

“…This slight prevalence of males over females reflects the gender distribution of the population at risk, the same was found in a Kuwaiti study [13], where male slight preponderance was reported. In another study [14], where the male-tofemale ratio was 1:3, indicated that the pediatric brain tumors were more prevalent in males than in females and other studies found that too [1,15,18].…”

Profile of primary pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors from North India

“…[152324] The incidence of pilocytic astrocytoma was 16.6% which is much lower than a study by Katchy et al where these tumors constituted 29% of all pediatric brain tumors. [24] Resection is usually incomplete in diffuse astrocytomas due to permeative margins. Limited field external beam irradiation or stereotactic irradiation is the treatment of choice.…”

Incidence of the Histological Types of Tumors of the Central Nervous System

“…9 Of the 60 cases of CNS tumors studied, most tumors (88.3%) were recorded in the age range of 21 to 60 years with peak in the age group of 41-50 years and a mean age of 46.5 years. Katchy et al (2013) found 63 % of the brain tumors in the age group 20 -64 years. 10 The presenting symptoms of CNS tumors are headache, nausea, vomiting, seizure, decreased vision, decreases hearing, changes in behaviour or personality, speech difficulties, gait disturbance, weakness of limbs and changes of sensation.…”

“…Katchy et al (2013) found 63 % of the brain tumors in the age group 20 -64 years. 10 The presenting symptoms of CNS tumors are headache, nausea, vomiting, seizure, decreased vision, decreases hearing, changes in behaviour or personality, speech difficulties, gait disturbance, weakness of limbs and changes of sensation. States(CBTRUS) statistical report 2012 the most common site of brain and CNS tumors was meninges(34%) followed by the cerebral lobes (22%).…”