title: Epidemiology of pediatric brain tumors in Greece (1991-2008). Experience from the Agia Sofia Children's Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We set out to determine the epidemiology of pediatric brain tumors in a single Greek institute.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed all cases of brain tumors in children, under the age of 15 years, that were treated surgically in the Neurosurgical Department of Children's Hospital "Agia Sofia", between January 1991 and December 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From January 1991 through December 2008, we encountered 335 cases of pediatric brain tumors. The mean age was 7.2 years and there was a slight male predominance. Astrocytomas made up the largest component, with pilocytic astrocytomas accounting for 25.6% of all tumors. The second most common entity was medulloblastoma, accounting for 18% of all tumors, whereas ependymomas were the third most frequent tumor. There was an increase in the total number of brain tumors during the last decade. Furthermore, examining low-grade astrocytoma, medulloblastoma and ependymoma trends over the last 2 decades, we found a trend for a decrease of low-grade astrocytomas and an increase of the more aggressive medulloblastomas and ependymomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study presents the first epidemiological data of pediatric brain tumors in Greece. Astrocytomas were the most common tumor followed by medulloblastomas and ependymomas. Furthermore, a trend for an increase of malignant tumors over the last decade has been observed.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Agia Sofia, Neurosurgery, Athens, Greece. alexiougrg@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Alexiou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moschovi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stefanaki
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sfakianos
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Prodromou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors