Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Delay in the diagnosis of paediatric brain tumours

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

The pre-diagnostic period of 252 children (median age 6.3 years, range 0–16.9 years) with primary brain tumours was assessed to analyse their clinical presentation and reasons for any delay in diagnosis. The median pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval (PSI) was 60 days (range 0–3010 days) with a parental delay of 14 days (range 0–2310 days) and a doctor's delay of 30 days (range 0–3010 days). Only 33% of brain tumours were diagnosed within the 1st month after the onset of signs/symptoms. PSI correlated significantly with patients' age and tumour histology, but not with gender, year of diagnosis or tumour location (supratentorial hemispheric, supratentorial midline, infratentorial). In children older than 2 years, most common initial signs/symptoms were headache, nausea/vomiting, seizures, squint/diplopia, ataxia and behavioural changes. In children younger than 2 years, most common initial signs/symptoms were seizures, vomiting, head tilt and behavioural changes. These signs/symptoms are by no means pathognomonic features of brain tumours, making the diagnosis in the early course often difficult. Conclusion: given the fact that the vast majority of patients (88% in the present study) develop further signs/symptoms, a high level of awareness, a detailed medical history and repeated correctly interpreted neurological examinations should lead to an earlier diagnosis and to a higher probability of total tumour resection.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Electronic Publication

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dobrovoljac, M., Hengartner, H., Boltshauser, E. et al. Delay in the diagnosis of paediatric brain tumours. Eur J Pediatr 161, 663–667 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-002-1088-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-002-1088-4

Navigation