Time to diagnosis of brain tumors in children: a single-centre experience.

Background: The aim of the study was to analyze the pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval (PSI) of children with brain tumors with regard to the parental and doctor's delay and the clinical symptoms.

Methods: A retrospective review of all children with brain tumors diagnosed in a single centre over a period of 11 years was carried out.

Results: Seventy-nine patients (35 boys, 44 girls), with a mean age of 9.2 years (0.2-23.5 years), were analyzed. PSI was 28 weeks with a parental delay of 11.1 weeks and a doctor's delay of 16.9 weeks. Main clinical symptoms were headache (66.7%), vomiting (57.7%), vision (46.2%) and gait (41.6) disorders and fatigue (41.0%) followed by other neurological signs.

Conclusions: Diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors is often delayed in relation to the presenting symptoms. If parents report a combination of headache with other neurological abnormalities, a brain tumor should always be considered.