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. 2019 Nov 25;14(4):1144-1150.
doi: 10.4103/ajns.AJNS_101_19. eCollection 2019 Oct-Dec.

Pediatric Brainstem Gliomas: An Institutional Experience

Altaf Ali Laghari  1 , Mirza Zain Baig  2 , Ehsan Bari  1 , Aneela Darbar  1 , Naureen Mushtaq  3 , Umm E Hani Abdullah  1 , Daniyal Aziz Khan  4
Affiliations

Pediatric Brainstem Gliomas: An Institutional Experience

Altaf Ali Laghari et al. Asian J Neurosurg. .

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical profiles and outcomes of pediatric brainstem gliomas treated at our institute.

Methodology: We reviewed the files of 18 pediatric age group patients diagnosed with brainstem glioma at our institution. The following variables were recorded: age, sex, duration of symptoms, date of diagnosis, main clinical symptoms, Karnofsky performance status score, magnetic resonance imaging findings, histopathology findings, details of the treatment given, disease progression, and date of mortality/last follow-up. This data were then transferred to SPSS version 23 which was used for further analysis.

Results: The mean age of our cohort was 8.6 years (range 3-15). There were 11 (61.1%) males and 7 (38.9%) females. There were 16 (88.9%) patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs), 1 (5.6%) patients with exophytic medullary gliomas, and 1 (5.6%) patient with midbrain/tectal glioma. Mean overall survival (OS) was 9.7 months. Mean progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.3 months. All patients with DIPG eventually passed away from their disease. Patients with DIPG who received radiotherapy had a longer OS and PFS than those who did not (9.8 and 6 months vs. 3.4 and 2.4 months). Diagnostic latency >1 month was found to have a statistically significant longer progression-free interval.

Conclusion: DIPGs in the pediatric population have a poor prognosis. Radiotherapy serves to increase survival time but is not curative.

Keywords: Pediatric brainstem gliomas; radiotherapy; survival.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Kaplan–Meier graph depicting progression-free survival in patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma who received radiotherapy versus those who did not
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan–Meier graph depicting overall survival in patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma who received radiotherapy versus those who did not
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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