title: Time to diagnosis of brain tumors in children: a single-centre experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to analyze the pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval (PSI) of children with brain tumors with regard to the parental and doctor's delay and the clinical symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of all children with brain tumors diagnosed in a single centre over a period of 11 years was carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-nine patients (35 boys, 44 girls), with a mean age of 9.2 years (0.2-23.5 years), were analyzed. PSI was 28 weeks with a parental delay of 11.1 weeks and a doctor's delay of 16.9 weeks. Main clinical symptoms were headache (66.7%), vomiting (57.7%), vision (46.2%) and gait (41.6) disorders and fatigue (41.0%) followed by other neurological signs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors is often delayed in relation to the presenting symptoms. If parents report a combination of headache with other neurological abnormalities, a brain tumor should always be considered.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Oncology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Children's Hospital, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molineus
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boxberger
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Redlich
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vorwerk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015192:Infratentorial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015173:Supratentorial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D055815:Young Adult