Morphological pattern and frequency of intracranial tumors in children

• Published in: Child's nervous system Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 157 - 162
• Main Authors: Mehrazin, M, Yavari, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.02.2007
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Distribution; Brain Neoplasms - classification; Brain Neoplasms - epidemiology; Brain Neoplasms - pathology; Child; Child, Preschool; Demography; Female; Humans; Infant; Iran - epidemiology; Male; Retrospective Studies; Sex Distribution; Iran
• ISSN: 0256-7040; 1433-0350
• DOI: 10.1007/s00381-006-0198-0

Brain tumors are the second most common neoplasm in children. Pattern of primary brain tumors in children has not been reported in Iran. Brain tumors have been the subject of controversy both with respect to pattern of occurrence and to potential causes. To determine the age, sex, location, and histologic diagnosis of intracranial tumors in children less than 15 years of age. A retrospective study of 619 children who were admitted to the neurosurgical center between 1978 and 2003 was performed. Charts were reviewed to extract information about demographics, location, and histopathological diagnosis of tumors. All patients entered into this study had pathologically proven brain tumor. The frequency distribution of brain tumors by age and sex, location, and histopathology was calculated. The male-female ratio, 58.1 to 41.9%, vary significantly (p<0.05). The mean age of the patients at time of diagnosis was 8.8 years (SD=3.9). Fifty-one percent of brain tumors were located in supratentorial, and 49.0% in the infratentorial region. In supratentorial region, 57.0% of the tumors were in the hemispheric. In infratentorial region, 68% of the tumors were in the midline. The mixed five most common histological diagnoses in patients were astrocytoma (40.4%), followed by medulloblastoma (18.4%), ependymoma (10.5%), craniopharyngioma (8.8%), and meningioma (4.2%). Most of the brain tumor types (85%) occurred in children between 5 to 15 years of age. Astrocytoma occurred mostly in children aged 5-15 years (87%). Males were affected more than females. A significant male predominance was observed in craniopharyngioma and medulloblastoma. Astrocytoma was the first most common brain tumor in all age groups. Certain tumor types show a predilection for the certain period of life.