CHILDHOOD GLIOBLASTOMA IN TUNISIA - A REVIEW OF 24 CASES

Twenty-four pediatric cases of glioblastoma seen over a 13-year period (January 1978-December 1990) were reviewed retrospectively. These cases represented 9.3% of all the central nervous system tumors seen in children over the same period. The sex incidence was equal and mean age was ten years. Most cases (83%) were located in the brain. Clinical symptoms included evidence of increased intracranial pressure (95%), focal deficits (68%), and seizures (20%). The diagnosis was suspected on the basis of computed tomography findings and was confirmed by the pathological study. The tumor was removed surgically in every case. Three patients received irradiation and one chemotherapy. The outcome was disappointing: nine patients developed recurrences, after a mean post-surgery interval of two months.