Intracranial tumors of the first year of life

Objective: To determine whether the incidence and location of childhood CNS tumors in Syria follows the same pattern described in Western and Far Eastern countries. Patients and Methods: We analyzed the data compiled from 367 children with brain tumors operated on in our Department of Neurosurgery between 1993 and mid-2002. We excluded all vascular and metastatic lesions and adopted the latest WHO classification in grouping all glial tumors. Results: We found that 47% of brain tumors were located in the supratentorial, and 53% in the infratentorial region. The ratio of male to female occurrence was 1:1.2 (52% males, 48% females). For lesions in the supratentorial space, the distribution was 56% males and 44% females, while in the posterior fossa, the distribution was 61% males and 39% females. Low-grade tumors (WHO I/II) constituted 53.5% of all lesions, and the rest were high grade tumors (WHO III/IV) 46.5%.The most common tumor found in our childhood population was medulloblastoma (27.5%), followed by astrocytoma (25.8%), then craniopharyngioma (14.1%). The most common tumor in the posterior fossa was medulloblastoma (53.5%), followed by astrocytoma (22.5%), then ependymoma (17%). The most common tumors in the supratentorial space were astrocytoma and craniopharyngioma. Conclusions: In our patient population, the incidence and distribution of CNS tumors were somehow different than those reported by authors from the Western and Far Eastern countries. Whether these results are unique to Syria, or reflect a regional difference in the disease distribution between the Middle East region and the rest of the world, remains to be determined.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

“…Astrocytomas were reported as the most common CNS tumors of childhood by some authors [7, 9, 10, 11, 13]. In our patient population, medulloblastoma was somehow the most common tumor (27.5%), closely followed by astrocytoma (25.8%) and craniopharyngioma (14.1%).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Incidence of Childhood Brain Tumors in Syria (1993–2002)

Kadri¹,

Mawla²,

Murad³

2005

“…In the literature 1–5 % of pediatric brain tumors are plexus papillomas [1, 2, 7, 8]. Several studies have shown that the majority of these tumors occurred in the first 2 years of life [5, 6]. This was confirmed by the extensive analysis of brain tumor incidence in children by Jänisch [3], who identified choroid plexus papilloma as the most common intracranial tumor in infants with an incidence of up to 24%.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

“…While they comprise less than 1% of all intracranial tumors in the general population [1, 2], they are one of the most common intracranial tumors in infants [3, 4]. The preferred localization of the choroid plexus papilloma is the lateral ventricle in children and the fourth ventricle in adults [5,6,7,8]. The clinical symptoms are not only caused by the space-occupying effect of the lesion and disturbed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation, but also by increased CSF synthesis as a result of hypersecretory hydrocephalus [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infant with Unusually Large Choroid Plexus Papilloma Undergoing Emergency Surgery

Picht¹,

Jansons²,

Baalen³

et al. 2006

Choroid plexus papillomas are one of the most common tumors of the nervous system in infants. The most frequent early symptoms, megalocephalia and vomiting, caused by elevated intracranial pressure often lead to a diagnosis only at a critical clinical stage. This study describes a case of a 3-month-old infant with a choroid plexus papilloma measuring 7 × 8 × 6 cm originating in the right lateral ventricle. The infant underwent emergency surgery in an acutely deteriorated state, i.e., acute herniation symptoms with fixed and dilated pupils. Despite of the size of the tumor, the proximity to eloquent cortex, and clinically deteriorated state, the infant recovered completely.

“…These tumors are classically distributed with a posterior fossa preponderance. However, in clinical practice, more than 50% of pediatric tumors of the central nervous system are supratentorial [3, 4]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surgical Outcomes of Cerebellar Tumors in Children

Akay¹,

İzci²,

Baysefer³

et al. 2004

Cerebellar tumors in childhood are generally associated with a favorable outcome if they are managed appropriately. 27 cases of pediatric cerebellar tumors, operated over a 7-year period, are presented. Histopathological diagnoses were as follows: pilocytic astrocytoma (48.2%); medulloblastoma (22.2%); ependymoma (18.5%); fibrillary astrocytoma grade III (3.7%); cystic oligodendroglioma (3.7%), and hemangioblastoma (3.7%). Microscopic gross total resection was achieved in 16 (59.3%) of 27 cases. The total removal of pediatric cerebellar tumors without neurological deficit is possible with appropriate microsurgical techniques excluding brain stem invasion. The follow-up periods must be shorter if brain stem invasion exists. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the adjuvant therapies according to the pathological diagnosis and the patient’s age.