Glioblastoma multiforme in children: experience at Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate clinical evolution of pediatric patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) at Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez.

METHODS

Cases of patients treated from January to May, 2007, were included in this study. Variables analyzed were: age, diagnosis, size of tumor, histopathological description, degree of resection, time of stay in hospital, complications and outcome using Pearson's chi-squared test and logistic regression.

CONCLUSION

Sixteen patients were identified. Mean age of presentation was 8.8. An increased frequency of complications was observed in younger patients and longer survival rates in patients with greater resections; main mode of presentation was directly related to intracranial hypertension; size of tumor was not related to evolution or outcome. Modern histological classifications especially designed for children are deemed necessary to accurately diagnose GBM.