All issues > Volume 28(11); 1985

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1985;28(11):1082-1088. Published online November 30, 1985.

Clinical Studies of Brain Tumors in Children.

In Hee Park, Han Young Lee, Jeh Hoon Shin, In Joon Seol, Woo Gill Lee, Hang Lee

¹Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

During a period of 116/12 years, from July, 1974 to December, 1984, 44 cases under 15 years of age with brain tumors were observed at department of pediatrics and neurosurgery at Hanyang University Hospital. The results were as follows: 1)The peak incidence of age was observed in the children from 5 to 10 years (38.6%). The sex ratio of male to female was 1.6: 1. 2)The supratsntorial tumors were in 18 cases(40.9%) and infratentorial in 26 cases(59.1 %), but among the 19 verified tumors the supratentorial tumors were in 9 cases and infratentorial in 10 cases (52.6%). 3)In the 19 verified tumors out of the 44, astrocytoma and edulloblastoma were the most common neoplasm being present in 5 cases(26.3%) each other and remainders showed glioblastoma multiforme in 2 cases(10.5%), craniopharyngioma in 2 cases(10.5%), tuberculoma in 2 cases (10.5%), brain stem glioma in 1 case(5.3%), ganglioglioma in 1 case (5.3%) and unclassified glioma in 1 case(5.3%). 4)In supratentorial tumors, the main symptoms and signs were vomiting(72.2%), headache (55. 6%), convulsion (50.0%), disturbance of gait (44.4%), papilledema(33.3%), eyeball deviation(27.8%), facial palsy(16.7%), cervical rigidity(16.7%) and positive Babinski sign (16.7%) in the order of frequency. In infratentorial tumors, vomiting was the most common symptom(61.5%) and headache was noted in 50.0%, disturbance of gait in 50.0%, papilledema in 26.9%, facial palsy in 19.2%, positive Babinski sign in 15.4%, cervical rigidity in 11.5%, dysphasia in 11.5%, nystagmus in 11.5%, diplopia in 11.5% and eyeball deviation in 11.5%. 5)Plain skull X-ray changes were noted in 22 of the 33 available cases(66.7%). In supratentorial tumors, the separation of sutures was noted in 58.3%, increased convolutional marking in 41.7%, alterations in sella in 25.0% and abnormal calcification in 25.0%. In infratentorial tumors, the separation of sutures were noted in 57.1%, increased convolutional marking in 42.9%, bulging of fontanel in 14.3%, alterations in sella in 9.5% and abnormal calcification in 4.8%. 6)Elevated protein level of cerebrospinal fluid(>50mg%) was noted in 58.8%.

Keywords :Brain tumor