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A review of clinical and histological features of Spanish paediatric medulloblastomas during the last 21 years

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Abstract

Purpose

To find any feature of prognostic significance among the clinical and histological characteristics of paediatric patients diagnosed with medulloblastoma (MB).

Materials and methods

Clinical charts and paraffin blocks of 79 paediatric patients from nine Spanish institutions diagnosed with MB between 1980 and 2001 were reviewed retrospectively. Included clinical and histological characteristics were age, sex, duration of symptoms, physical signs on admission, tumour location, T and M stages of Chang classification, hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid shunt, surgical resection, complications after surgery, MB subtype, desmoplasia, nodularity, fibrilar pattern, nuclear pleomorphism, necrosis grade, proliferation index and intra-tumoural vascularity. Overall and event-free survival (EFS) univariate and multivariate analyses were assessed.

Results

Type of surgery and necrosis grade appeared to be independent prognostic variables in overall and EFSs. Although nuclear pleomorphism and intra-tumoural vascularity showed a marginally statistical effect on overall survival (OS), both had a significant influence on EFS.

Conclusion

We have confirmed surgical resection and added necrosis grade as independent prognostic factors in terms of OS for children diagnosed with MB.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the following paediatric oncologists (*) and pathologists (**) for their generous supplying of patients clinical charts and tumour paraffin blocks: M.J. Antuña*, M. Galbe*, P. Ablanedo** and A. Astudillo** from Hospital Central de Asturias; T. Acha* and B. Weil** from Hospital Materno Infantil de Málaga, C. Calvo*, A. Carboné* and J. Alfaro** from Hospital Miguel Servet (Zaragoza); A. Muñoz* and M. García** from Hospital Ramón y Cajal-Madrid; N. Pardo* and X. Matias-Guiu** from Hospital Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona); M. Melo* and M. Rey i Ruhí** from Hospital de Sabadell (Barcelona); J.M. Couselo* and J. Forteza** from Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (La Coruña); and A.M. Alvarez* and J.M. Loizaga** from Hospital Virgen del Rocío (Sevilla). This study was supported by the Department of Health of the Basque Government, the Foundation of Spanish Society of Paediatric Oncology (SEOP) and the Spanish Paediatric Association.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paediatric Oncology Unit, Hospital de Cruces, 48903, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain

    Alejandro Urberuaga & Aurora Navajas

  2. Pathology Department, Hospital de Cruces, 48903, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain

    Juan Burgos

  3. Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Hospital de Cruces, 48903, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain

    José Ignacio Pijoán

Authors
  1. Alejandro Urberuaga
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  2. Aurora Navajas
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  3. Juan Burgos
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  4. José Ignacio Pijoán
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Correspondence to Alejandro Urberuaga.

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Urberuaga, A., Navajas, A., Burgos, J. et al. A review of clinical and histological features of Spanish paediatric medulloblastomas during the last 21 years. Childs Nerv Syst 22, 466–474 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-005-0004-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-005-0004-4

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