Abstract
BACKGROUND: The neurologic outcomes of low-grade gliomas (LGGs) according to tumor location and duration of presenting symptoms remain poorly characterized in children. PROCEDURE: We retrospectively reviewed neurologic impairments in 246 pediatric patients with LGGs (88 with optic pathway and midline tumors, 56 with posterior fossa tumors, 52 with cerebral hemisphere tumors, 35 with brainstem tumors, and 15 with spinal cord tumors) who were treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital between 1995 and 2005. We compared neurologic impairments (defined by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.03) by tumor location and prediagnosis symptom interval (PSI) (≥ 3 months or < 3 months) at first and last patient visits. RESULTS: The median age of diagnosis was 7.1 years; median PSI was 2.1 months; and median time to last follow-up was 11.6 years. LGGs in the cerebral hemispheres resulted in significantly fewer neurologic impairments, compared with that of other locations at baseline (P < 0.001) and at last follow-up (P < 0.001). In all patients, PSIs greater than 3 months resulted in a significantly higher incidence of ataxia and dysmetria at last follow-up (42%, P = 0.003). Greater PSI was also significantly associated with worsening lower extremity motor weakness from cerebral hemisphere tumors; dysmetria from optic pathway and midline tumors; eye and visual dysfunction from posterior fossa tumors; and ear and vestibular disturbances from brainstem tumors (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Neurologic impairment in pediatric LGGs varies by tumor location, and PSIs greater than 3 months affect some functionally important neurologic outcomes.