The reliability of noninvasive diagnostic procedures in children with brain tumors.

To determine the most reliable method of following the progress of disease in children with primary intracranial neoplasms, the noninvasive diagnostic procedures in 92 children were analyzed. Computerized tomographic (CT) scanning was found to be significantly superior to all other testing procedures in sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy. This superiority was seen regardless of tumor location or pathological subtype. When results in follow-up were compared to initial findings at diagnosis, the sensitivity of CT scanning was again significantly more reliable than the other procedures. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis was unreliable and added little information to that obtained from simultaneous CT and Radionuclide (RN) scanning. It is recommended that combined CT and RN scanning be used for management of intracranial neoplasms until a reliable method for detecting microscopic disease is available.