The child with a mass on its head: diagnostic and surgical strategies.
A series of 65 pediatric patients with scalp or calvarial masses is reported on. The majority of children presented with a disfiguring or painful mass on the head. Clinical findings suggested the correct diagnosis in 39/65 cases, skull radiographs in 46/65, and CT in 49/65. Taking the combined results of clinical and radiological studies, 54/65 of the lesions were accurately diagnosed. Tumor excision was curative in 43 of 48 patients who were operated on. Most scalp and calvarial neoplasms were benign; only 5/65 children harboured a malignant lesion. There was no mortality related to surgery in the series. Surgical intervention seems to be indicated in most cases, both for diagnosis and for treatment.
Martínez-Lage
J F
JF
Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital General y Hospital Infantil, Virgen de Arrixaca, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain.
Capel
A
A
Costa
T R
TR
Perez-Espejo
M A
MA
Poza
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012535:Scalp / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed