Surveillance imaging and cost effectivity in pediatric brain tumors.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the role and cost effectiveness of surveillance imaging at the management of pediatric brain tumors.


METHODS
In this study, the imaging and clinical finding of 59 patients who had been diagnosed and followed by the Dokuz Eylul University Pediatric Oncology Group as primary central nervous system tumors between 1988 and 2000 were retrospectively evaluated.


RESULTS
We found that the 87.5% of tumor recurrence occurs within 21 months and 93.8% occur within 29 months. About 25% of these recurrences were asymptomatic and these (n=16) could be detected by surveillance imaging with a frequency rate of 1.59%. The cost of imaging for our patients was calculated to be 788 US$ (mean) for a follow-up period of 24 months which would have been 739 US$ if a standard surveillance protocol would have been followed.


CONCLUSIONS
Surveillance imaging is an effective follow-up in detecting symptomatic recurrence in pediatric brain tumors.
Kovanlikaya
Arzu
A
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, Inciralti-Izmir, Turkey.
Karabay
Nuri
N
Cakmakçi
Handan
H
Uysal
Kamer
K
Olgun
Nur
N
Ergör
Gül
G
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000191:economics*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000191:economics*