Childhood intracranial neoplasms Enugu, Nigeria

This paper reviews children with intracranial neoplasms seen at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, (UNTH), Enugu, over an 8-year period (1978-1985). There were 21 children, aged 4-14 years, with histologically confirmed intracranial neoplasms. The male to female ratio was 2:1. Of all cases, there was a preponderance of cranio-pharyngiomas (38.1%), followed by the astrocytomas and medulloblastomas with 14.3% each, a result which is at variance with findings elsewhere. The poor prognosis was partly due to late presentation complicated by relatively inadequate diagnostic and therapeutic facilities. A plea is made for the improvement of neurodiagnostic and therapeutic facilities in some regional hospitals in developing countries.