1125 CEREBRAL OLIGODENDROGLIOMAS OF CHILDHOOD

Abstract

Oligodendrogliomas are rare in children. In 40 years (1935-1974), 12 histologically verified cases of oligodendroglioma in persons <20 years of age were reported to the Connecticut Tumor Registry, constituting 1-2% of all intracranial neoplasms in Connecticut children. Eleven occurred in the cerebral hemispheres; these cases were reviewed and the available slides were analyzed. The male to female ratio was 2.7:1; the age range was from 2 to 19 years with a mean age of 13.5 years. The chronicity of the process was evidenced by a mean duration of 50 months from the inset of symptoms to diagnosis. Seizures (64%), nausea/vomiting (55%), headache (45%), and cranial nerve palsies (45%) were the most common presenting symptoms while papilledema (45%) and paresis (27%) were the most frequent physical findings. A normal neurological exam was found at diagnosis in 36% of the children. Ten patients were operated upon; 7 of these also received radiation. One patient died before diagnosis. The mean survival with cerebral oligodendrogliomas was 61 months. Comparison of those treated with operation alone and those also treated with radiation revealed no statistically significant difference in survival Six patients survived longer than 5 years, and the functional status of these longer term survivors was determined: one has no neurologic deficit; one has a quadrantanopsia; one has a hemiparesis; two have seizures; and one has psychiatric disease and seizures.