Clinical analysis of central nervous system metastasis in children with malignant solid tumor / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To improve the clinicians′ understanding of central nervous system (CNS) metastasis in children with solid tumors.Methods:The clinical data of 33 cases of CNS metastasis among 611 children with malignant solid tumors in the chest and abdomen from September 2005 to December 2016 in Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of metastasis were statistically analyzed according to different pathological types of malignant solid tumors in children with CNS metastasis.Results:Among the 611 children with malignant solid tumors in the chest and abdomen, 15 patients were neuroblastoma with CNS metastasis (5.9%, 15/264), 13 patients were hepatoblastoma with CNS metastasis (4.8%, 13/274), two cases were Wilms tumor with CNS metastasis (3.2%, 2/63), and three cases were clear cell sarcoma of the kidney with CNS metastasis (3/10). The onset age of the malignant solid tumors was 3-189 months, and the median age of onset was 26.5 months. The time from the diagnosis of primary malignant solid tumor to diagnosis of CNS metastasis was 0-100 months, and the median time of metastasis was 18 months. The neuroimaging features of CNS metastasis were as follows:30 cases with brain metastasis, three cases with meningeal metastasis, and five cases with spinal cord involvement. Cerebrospinal fluid cytology was positive in two cases (2/3). Of the 33 patients with CNS metastasis, five underwent intracranial tumor resection combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, two underwent surgery alone, three underwent radiotherapy alone, and 23 underwent chemotherapy alone. After a median follow-up of 36 months, the survival time of 33 malignant solid tumors with CNS metastasis was (16.96±3.19) months, and the overall survival rate of three years was only 14.7%. The survival time of the patients with intracranial tumor surgery combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, surgery alone, radiotherapy alone, and chemotherapy alone was (40.50±4.32), (3.00±0), (35.50±5.50) and (10.35±2.84) months, respectively; and the three-year overall survival rates were 50.0%, 0, 50.0% and 4.3%, respectively (χ 2=15.19, P=0.002). The prognosis of the patients with intracranial tumor resection combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy was the best. Conclusions:The highest incidence of CNS metastasis in children with malignant solid tumors in the chest and abdomen was found in the clear cell sarcoma of the kidney. The prognosis of CNS metastasis was found to be poor. But the comprehensive therapy of intracranial tumor resection combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy can prolong survival and improve prognosis.