Brain tumors in children at Ramathibodi Hospital.

Brain tumors remain the second most common neoplasm of childhood, however, there is no adequate study of this disease in Thai children. From the year 1971 to 1987, 468 children under 15 years of age were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Ramathibodi hospital with the diagnosis of brain tumor. Four hundred and forty-four patients had primary intracranial tumors, of these, 17 were excluded due to inadequate information and the remaining 427 patients were studied. Male to female ratio was 1.3:1, the age ranged from one day old to 14 years old. The duration of illness before admission ranged from a few days to 4 years, with over 70 per cent within 3 months. Headache, vomiting and papilledema were the three most common symptoms and signs. Supratentorial and infratentoral tumors were seen in 209 and 216 patients respectively, craniopharyngioma was the most common supratentorial tumor (51/209) and medulloblastoma was the most common infratentorial tumor (95/216), however, malignant astrocytoma is the overall most common tumor type. Early diagnosis and treatment were needed for good outcome.