Pediatric brain tumors – the importance of early identification of symptoms / Guzy mózgu u dzieci – znaczenie wczesnej identyfikacji objawów

Introduction. Brain tumors account for 17-29% of all developmental age neoplasms. Most cases are noted in children aged 2-3 years and 5-10 years.

Aim. The study aims to determine the number of patients with brain tumors in children hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, University Children’s Hospital in Lublin in the years 2002-2015 and to present the most common early symptoms of the disease.

Material and methods. The study group comprised 58 children. The age of respondents ranged from 2 to 17.5 years of age. The study was based on retrospective analysis of medical records of patients hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, University Children’s Hospital in Lublin in the years 2002-2015. We analyzed medical history of patients whose hospital admissions were due to symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and the accompanying nausea, morning vomiting, walk on a broad basis, balance disorders, abnormal vision, nystagmus, strabismus, hemiparesis, seizures, behavioral changes, weight loss, and the duration of symptoms prior to hospitalization and location of the tumor.

Results. The surveyed group comprised 58 children with brain tumors, 29 girls (50%) and 29 boys (50%). The age of respondents ranged from 2 to 17.5 years. The symptoms, which dominated in patients on admission were: headache, dizziness, vomiting, especially in the morning. The time of occurrence of clinical symptoms varied from several days to several months before hospitalization.

Conclusions. The analysis showed the presence of a brain tumor in children of both sexes with a comparable frequency. Brain tumors in the studied population most often were found in children aged 5-10 years. The location of the tumor was associated with the age of the child. The most common early symptoms of brain tumors in the study group were headache, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, impaired balance.