[Central nervous system tumors in children less than three years of age].
OBJECTIVE
Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the most frequent solid tumors in children. Twelve to twenty percent are diagnosed in patients younger than two years of age and these patient present more morbidity and mortality due to the illness and the treatment itself.


METHODS
A retrospective study of CNS tumors in children younger than three years of age diagnosed in our hospital between 1985 and 1995 was carried out.


RESULTS
We treated 21 patients between 1985 and 1995. There were 10 male and 11 females. The mean age was 20.3 months (range: 0-32 months). The mean time between symptoms and treatment was 2.4 months (range: 0-18 months). The most common symptoms included ataxia, nausea and vomits. The most common locations of the tumor were: infratentorial (57.1%) and supratentorial (38.1%). Complete surgery was performed in 3 patients, subtotal in 10, partial in 5, and a biopsy in 2. The anatomical-pathological diagnosis was: astrocytoma (6), ependinoma (5), meduloblastoma (4), ganglioglioma (1), neuroblastoma (1), and primitive neuroectodermic tumor (1). We could not document the histology in 3 patients. Ten patients received chemotherapy that was well tolerated and 14 received radiotherapy whose sequels were updated. The mean follow-up period was 44.42 months (range: 0-136 months). Overall survival was 42.86%. There were no statistically significant differences in survival between those who were irradiated and those who were not, nor between those with supra-or infratentorial tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
CNS tumors in children younger than three years of age have a worse prognosis than in older children. New therapeutic schedule with chemotherapy are being tested to avoid radiotherapy side-effects.
Unidad de Oncología Pediátrica, Hospital Infantil La Fe, Valencia.
C
C
Jovaní Casano
A
A
Cañete Nieto
M
M
Bermúdez Cortés
A
A
Verdaguer Miralles
J M
JM
Fernández Navarro
J
J
Ferris Tortajada
V
V
Castel
D000367:Age Factors; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
Tumores de sistema nervioso central en niños menores de 3 años.