Abstract
Clinical and biochemical data of 200 children with fever after surgical resection of posterior fossa tumors between September 1988 and July 1992 admitted at Hospital de Pediatria Garrahan were analized. Out of this population, 26 children fulfilled the following criteria: 1) No previous therapy received before surgery (excepting dexamethasone); 2) Febrile syndrome appeared after surgery; 3) No evidence of well defined infectious cause of fever: eighty six per cent of the patients had hydrocephaly before surgery. The histological diagnosis of the resected tumors were: medulloblastoma 38%, astrocytoma 34% and ependymoma 11%. Fever appeared between 1st. and 10th. day after surgery (x 3,2d.). Mean duration of fever was 7, 8 days (range: 1-23d.). Lumbar puncture was performed in all patients during the first 48 hours after surgery. Laboratory data indicated that 88% presented aseptic meningitis, the remaining 12% did not present abnormal manifestations in cerebrospinal fluid. Cultures were negative in the 26 patients. All of them received steroid therapy with dexamethasone 0,5mg/Kg/day during 1-30 days, mean: 9 days. Results strongly suggest that the first diagnosis to think of in children undergoing fossa surgery in a high complexity hospital environment is aseptic meningitis. In our sample all children with aseptic meningitis had favorable evolution, with general supportive treatment and no antibiotics for more than 48 hours.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
