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Epidemiologic profile of pediatric brain tumors in Morocco
Mehdi Karkouri1, Sadia Zafad, Mohammed Khattab
1Department of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Ibn Rochd, 24 rue Jalal Eddine Essayouti, MA20100 Casablanca, Morocco.
Insights
Medulloblastoma and astrocytoma are the most common pediatric brain tumors in Morocco. This study details their epidemiological profile in children, offering insights into tumor types and age/sex distributions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neuro-oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Pediatric brain tumors are the most common childhood solid tumors globally.
- Limited data exists on the epidemiological profile of these tumors in Africa.
- This study focuses on Morocco to address this knowledge gap.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elaborate the epidemiological profile of pediatric brain tumors in Morocco.
- To analyze age, sex, and histological subtypes of brain tumors in children and adolescents.
- To contribute to understanding the global burden of pediatric brain tumors.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of pediatric patients (0-19 years) with primary brain tumors.
- Data collected from 2003-2007 across multiple centers in Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco.
- Inclusion required histopathological confirmation (n=542).
Main Results:
- Medulloblastoma was the most frequent diagnosis (34.5%), followed by pilocytic astrocytoma (17.3%) and diffuse astrocytoma grade 2 (12.5%).
- The 5-9 year age group was most affected, with males more common in this group and females in the 10-14 year group.
- Medulloblastoma was the predominant tumor type in the 0-14 year age range.
Conclusions:
- Findings align with global trends but highlight medulloblastoma as the leading pediatric brain tumor in Morocco.
- Astrocytoma is the second most common type.
- This study provides crucial epidemiological data for pediatric brain tumors in North Africa.
Introduction:
Brain tumors are the most common solid tumors diagnosed among children below 15 years worldwide. However, little is known about the profile of pediatric brain tumors in Africa. The purpose of this study was to further elaborate the epidemiological profile of pediatric brain tumors in Africa, specifically Morocco.
Methods:
A retrospective review was conducted of all patients with primary brain tumors in the age group 0-19 years, from 2003 to 2007, from multiple centers in two cities of Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco. Only patients with histopathological confirmation were included (n = 542). Descriptive epidemiologic profiles were created for the patients by age, sex, and histological subtypes of brain tumors.
Results:
Overall medulloblastoma was the most common brain tumor (34.5%), followed by pilocytic astrocytoma (17.3%) and diffuse astrocytoma grade 2 (12.5%). Brain tumors occurred most commonly in 5-9-year age group followed by 10-14-year age group with the former being more common among males and the latter being more common among females. We also found medulloblastoma to be the most common brain tumor in the 0-14-year-olds.
Conclusions:
In this rare study focused on pediatric brain tumors in Morocco, most of the findings were consistent with past studies from other parts of the world. However, we found medulloblastoma to be the most common pediatric brain tumor followed by astrocytoma.
