Tumors of the central nervous system in adolescents.

In a series of 144 central nervous system tumors found in adolescent patients, 133 occurred intracranially. Astrocytomas comprised 27 percent, glioblastoma multiforme 12 percent, medulloblastomas 11 percent and craniopharyngiomas 8 percent. The most common symptoms were headache and vomiting. Papilledema was the most frequent neurologic finding. Supratentorial and infratentorial lesions were nearly equal in occurrence. Rapidly growing tumors, such as medulloblastoma, were less frequent in these patients than in younger children.