title: Intracranial tumefactions in children. Surgical mortality.
abstract: This paper summarizes a 26.5-year experience in one centre with intracranial tumefactions in children. In 337 craniotomies done on 285 patients, the death rate within 30 days of operation was 6.7% for cases and 5.6% for procedures. Since 1965, the case and operative mortalities have been 2.0 and 1,7%, respectively. There have been no operative deaths in the last 109 patients, 124 craniotomies, done during the past 6.5 years. Operative mortality for primary procedures was 6.0%, 1.5% since 1965. For patients operated upon more than once (52 times on 38 patients), the case mortality has been 5.3%, procedural mortality 3.8%; since 1965 these figures have been 3.8 and 2.8%, respectively. The operative deaths are analysed, and some conclusions drawn. At the present time, surgical mortality from intracranial tumefactions in children should be less than 5%.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003399:Craniotomy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*