LMI-19PAEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOURS AT SABAH WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MALAYSIA-SINGLE INSTITUTION EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Central nervous system (CNS) tumours are the most frequent solid tumours in children. Little data is available from the low/middle income countries. We conducted a retrospective study of all the children below the age of 12 years old with primary brain tumour in Sabah Women and Children's Hospital in the year 2015. The aim of the study is to describe the characteristics of the patients with primary brain tumour. Primary brain tumour was diagnosed in 13 (17%) out of 78 newly diagnosed cancer patients. Nine (69%) were males and 4(31%) were females with a male to female ratio of 2.2:1. There were 6 (46%) patients in 0-3yrs old age group, 3(23%) in 4-6years old, 4 (31%) in the 7-12years old group with the mean age of 5.5 years. Gait disturbances was the presenting symptom in 10 (77%) patients, headache in 9(69%), vomiting in 7 (53%) and visual disturbances in 2(15%). The duration of symptoms ranged from 0.5 months to 4 months with the median being 1 month. These patients were categorize into 2 groups, supratentorial 3 cases (23%) and infra tentorial 10 cases (77%). All patients had hydrocephalus at the time of diagnosis. Ten (77%) patients were diagnosed histopathologically and the remaining 3 (23%) were through medical imaging. The morphological distribution was medulloblastoma 5 (50%), astrocytoma 4(40%) and PNET 1(10%). The current study is a single institution study over 1 year duration and needs cautious interpretation. Population-based studies over a longer duration are required to determine the characteristics of paediatric primary brain tumour in Malaysia.