title: [Comparative epidemiology of adult and pediatric intramedullary spinal cord tumors].
abstract: Intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCTs) are a rare pathology. They can be found at any age. Our experience with more than 507 surgeries for IMSCTs revealed some differences between pediatric and adult IMSCTs.
  
  
  
  We used a large surgical series to conduct comparative analysis of the main epidemiological characteristics of intramedullary tumors in children and adults and to identify possible differences.
  
  
  
  Prospectively collected data from 224 pediatric and 242 adult patients operated by one surgeon (YK) for last 12 years were analyzed.
  
  
  
  Pediatric IMSCTs are more extensive and children undergo treatment in worse clinical condition than adults. There are age-related differences in the tumor localization. The astrocytoma/ependymoma ratio was 83/17 in children and 21/79 in adults.
  
  
  
  We confirmed differences in IMSCTs in different age groups. Late diagnosis is a problem in the pediatric subgroup of IMSCT patients.
authors.affiliation: Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Yu V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Kushel
authors.affiliation: Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Yu D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Belova
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*