Brain tumor signs and symptoms: analysis of primary health care records from the UKCCS.
Pediatrics
; 125(1): 112-9, 2010 Jan.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-20026498
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To compare the frequency of brain tumor signs and symptoms in children with and without brain tumors.METHODS:
This was a UK population-based retrospective analysis of primary care records. Participants were 195 children (1-14 years) newly diagnosed with brain tumors and 285 controls matched by age, gender, and region. Comparisons included total number of prediagnosis consultations, number with >or=1 symptom suggestive of a brain tumor, total number of symptoms, number of different symptoms, and number of visits with specific combinations of symptoms.RESULTS:
On average, cases consulted more often than controls between birth and diagnosis/pseudodiagnosis with brain tumor signs and symptoms. Their consultation rate with >or=1 suggestive symptom escalated in the 2 years before diagnosis. Symptom prevalence was higher among cases than controls, a relative difference of 3.29 times as many consultations with >or=1 suggestive symptom (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.82-3.83) and 7.01 as many with more than 1 (95% CI 5.38-9.13). In each 6-month period in the 4 years before diagnosis, cases had at least twice as many consultations with >or=1 suggestive symptom (20.81 times as many in the 6 months before diagnosis [95% CI 14.29-30.30]) and 2-3 times more records of suggestive symptoms (28.35 times more in the 6 months before diagnosis [95% CI 19.05-42.19]). Symptoms rarely or not observed among control children included head tilt, odd head movements, odd posture, back or neck stiffness, and unsteadiness without obvious cause. CONCLUSION Key to identifying the 1 child among many who merits prompt investigation is recognition of unusual symptoms, or specific symptom patterns.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Primary Health Care
/
Brain Neoplasms
/
Early Detection of Cancer
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Etiology_studies
/
Incidence_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
/
Screening_studies
Aspects:
Equity_inequality
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
Pediatrics
Year:
2010
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United kingdom