Background: Low grade astrocytomas are among the most common central nervous system tumours in children.
Aims: To identify risk factors for the development of persistent intellectual handicap.
Methods: The notes of 30 children with histologically proven low grade astrocytoma who presented during the period 1987-96 were reviewed. Thirteen of these children who were diagnosed with intracranial tumours between 1992 and 1996 underwent cognitive assessment one year after the completion of treatment.
Results: Low grade astrocytomas were found in the cerebellum (59%), thalamus (17%), cerebral hemispheres (10%), and the cervical spinal cord (9%). Where possible all patients were treated with gross total resection of the tumour. Symptomatic children with tumours judged to be inoperable underwent biopsy followed by radiotherapy (13%). Three patients developed progressive disease following surgery and underwent repeat surgery and radiotherapy. Survival at a median follow up of 75 months (range 30-131) is 97%. At one year after the completion of treatment persisting cognitive impairment was common. The strongest predictor of IQ scores was the duration of symptoms of increased intracranial pressure preoperatively.
Conclusions: Although the overall survival rate of children with low grade astrocytoma is excellent, significant long term disability occurs. Early diagnosis is essential to reduce postoperative cognitive morbidity.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1718630 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/adc.84.1.61 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Building a teaching method for "clinical molecular biology testing technology" guided by the cultivation of thinking skills.
Biochem Mol Biol Educ
January 2025
College of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China.
The knowledge of "clinical molecular biology testing technology" is complex, conceptual expressions are abstract and difficult to understand, and the student's interest in learning is low. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a cyclic teaching method based on case analysis combined with an exploratory teaching method using mind mapping as an assignment. Students from the 2019 cohort of medical laboratory technology at Hunan University of Chinese Medicine served as the control group and received conventional lecture-based teaching methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffect of digital health applications with or without gamification on physical activity and cardiometabolic risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
EClinicalMedicine
October 2024
Toronto 3D Knowledge Synthesis and Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada.
Background: Use of health applications (apps) to support healthy lifestyles has intensified. Different app features may support effectiveness, including gamification defined as the use of game elements in a non-game situation. Whether health apps with gamification can impact behaviour change and cardiometabolic risk factors remains unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffect of low-dose radiation pre-irradiation on postoperative local chest wall recurrence of breast cancer-A retrospective study.
PeerJ
January 2025
Department of Oncology, Cancer Center, Southern Medical University Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of low-dose radiotherapy (LDR) for postoperative local chest wall recurrence of breast cancer.
Methods: The records of 52 patients with postoperative local chest wall recurrent breast cancer treated at our cancer center from January 2019 to December 2022. The t-test was used to compare the means of the LDR group and non LDR group.
Endostatin as a biomarker of systemic sclerosis: insights from a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Front Immunol
December 2024
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
Introduction: The critical role played by vascular dysfunction and ineffective angiogenesis in the pathophysiology of systemic sclerosis (SSc) suggests that circulating biomarkers reflecting these alterations may be useful in the clinical evaluation of this patient group. We sought to address this issue by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating a such candidate biomarker, endostatin, an endogenous glycoprotein exerting anti-angiogenic effects, in SSc patients and healthy controls.
Methods: A literature search was conducted in the electronic databases Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus from inception to 27 May 2024.
Pediatric Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension; is it Possible to Predict its Outcome?
J Saudi Heart Assoc
December 2024
Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology Division, Specialized Pediatric Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt.
Objectives: To assess the outcome of pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and to identify the predictors of morbidity and mortality of this progressive disease.
Patients And Methods: This prospective observational cohort study was conducted on consecutive pediatric patients with PAH. Medical history was taken with a grading of the WHO functional class as well as the serum N-terminal pro-BNP (NT pro-BNP), 6 min' walk test (6MWT), and echocardiography at the initial assessment and at follow-up.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!