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Nuchal Skinfold Thickness in Pediatric Brain Tumor Patients
Junxiang Peng1,2, Svenja Boekhoff1, Maria Eveslage3
1Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University Children's Hospital, Klinikum Oldenburg AöR, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany.
Background:
Severe obesity and tumor relapse/progression have impact on long-term prognosis in pediatric brain tumor patients.
Methods:
In a cross-sectional study, we analyzed nuchal skinfold thickness (NST) on magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) follow-up monitoring as a parameter for assessment of nuchal adipose tissue in 177 brain tumor patients (40 World Health Organization (WHO) grade 1-2 brain tumor; 31 grade 3-4 brain tumor; 106 craniopharyngioma), and 53 healthy controls. Furthermore, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio, caliper-measured skinfold thickness, and blood pressure were analyzed for association with NST.
Results:
Craniopharyngioma patients showed higher NST, BMI, waist-to-height ratio, and caliper-measured skinfold thickness when compared to other brain tumors and healthy controls. WHO grade 1-2 brain tumor patients were observed with higher BMI, waist circumference and triceps caliper-measured skinfold thickness when compared to WHO grade 3-4 brain tumor patients. NST correlated with BMI, waist-to-height ratio, and caliper-measured skinfold thickness. NST, BMI and waist-to-height ratio were associated with increased blood pressure. In craniopharyngioma patients with hypothalamic involvement/lesion or gross-total resection, rate and degree of obesity were increased.
Conclusions:
NST could serve as a novel useful marker for regional nuchal adipose tissue. NST is highly associated with body mass and waist-to-height ratio, and easily measurable in routine MRI monitoring of brain tumor patients.
