title: The clinical features and surgical outcomes of pediatric patients with primary spinal cord tumor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary spinal cord tumors (PSCTs) in pediatric patients are rare, with a reported overall incidence rate of 1-2.6 per one million children. We reviewed our experience of surgically treated 27 pediatric patients with PSCT and discussed the clinical features, radiological findings, surgical outcomes, and prognostic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March 1999 and March 2010, a total of 27 pediatric patients with PSCT were surgically treated in a single institution. We retrospectively analyzed their data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 13 females and 14 males, and their ages ranged from 6 months to 19 years (mean age, 12.1 years). The most common presenting symptom was motor weakness, and the histologic type of the tumors were mainly schwannoma, astrocytoma, and ependymoma. The tumor was completely resected in 17 patients, subtotally resected in 7 patients, and partial resection or biopsy was performed in 3 patients. Adjuvant chemotherapy was performed in 9 patients, and radiotherapy in 12 patients, respectively. The average follow-up period was 33.5 months (1.17-129). Five patients experienced the progression of disease, and three of them expired. The mean time for disease progression was 19.0 months (4.5-48.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PSCT in pediatric patients can be surgically removed with an acceptable low surgical morbidity. Progression-free survival was found to be related to the grade of tumor and the extent of tumor resection. Early diagnosis and treatment anticipate good functional neurologic outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spinal Neurosurgery, Guro TnTn Hospital, 547 Siheung-main road, Guro-gu, Seoul, South Korea. naltteng@daum.net.
authors.forename: Gwi Hyun
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jae Keun
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Tae Yup
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Nam Kyu
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Hyo Sang
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Do Heum
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Yoon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Seong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Dong Seok
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joong Uhn
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Keung Nyun
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult