Posterior fossa tumours in children at Parirenyatwa hospital

Abstract

Background: It is important to know the epidemiology of posterior fossa tumors in children.Groups at risk can then be identified and followed up with the aim of reducing late presentation and improving outcome. However larger, long term studies are needed to accurately achieve this. Objectives: The aim was to describe the effect of demographics, social background and HIV on the occurrence of posterior fossa tumors. Design: Prospective Cross sectional study of children treated for posterior fossa tumors at the Neurosurgical unit of Parirenyatwa referral hospital. Setting: Neurosurgery unit, Parirenyatwa teaching and referral hospital. Materials and methods: A total of 32 children admitted with imaging demonstrating a posterior fossa tumor were included after the parents gave consent for their children to participate in the study. No patients were excluded from the study. All patients were also tested for HIV using the antibody tests. Data was collected by administering a questionnaire. Results: Most cases came from Manicaland province with mean age of the patients being 6.7(SD) years and age ranging from 2 – 12 years. Median time to presentation from symptom onset was 3.5[2 - 6] months. Most patients were of poor socio economic status. A total of 7(21.7%) were HIV positive. Conclusion: Posterior fossa tumors at Parirenyatwa hospital occur more commonly in low income families from Manicaland. There was a higher HIV rate in the study patients compared to the pediatric population. The sample size was however too small to demonstrate a statistically significant correlation between HIV and posterior fossae tumor occurrence.

Keywords: posterior fossa tumor, epidemiology, socio-demographics, pediatric brain tu- mors, HIV