FREQUENCY AND PATTERN OF PRIMARY PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOURS:A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY IN NEUROSURGERY UNIT, LADY READING HOSPITAL PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and pattern of primary brain tumors of infancy and childhood in hospitalized patients at neurosurgery department Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. METHODS: This descriptive cross sectional study was conducted from January 2013 to December 2013 at neurosurgery department Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan. Pediatric patients under 14 years with primary brain tumor were included. Data was then collected on a predesigned proforma from the hospital charts, radiographic and histopathological reports and was analyzed for age, gender and tumor morphology. RESULTS: Out of 66 patients of primary brain tumour during the study period, 31 cases (46.96%) were supratentorial and 35 cases (53.04%) were infratentorial. Most commonly affected age group was 5-9 years and 10-14 years. Both male and female were equally affected with male to female ratio of 1:1. Twenty one cases (31.81%) were glioma, 17 cases (25.76%) were craniopharyngioma, 12 cases (18.18%) were medulloblastoma, 9 cases (13.65%) were ependymoma, 4 cases (6.06%) were choroid plexus papiloma and 3 cases (4.55%) were meningioma. Out of 21 cases of glioma, 11 cases (52.38%) were pilocytic astrocytoma, 7 cases (33.33%) were glioblastoma multiformis (GBM) and 3 cases (14.29%) were brainstem low grade astrocytoma. CONCLUSION: Most of the pediatric primary brain tumours are infratentorial. Glioma is the most common primary brain tumour in children followed by craniopharyngioma, medulloblastoma and ependymoma. The commonest age groups of presentation were 5-9 years and 10-14 years with equal male to female ratio.