Childhood brain tumors in Mali

Objective: to assess epidemiologic and clinical aspects of childhood brain tumors in Mali. Methods: a retrospective, descriptive study of children aged 0-15 years with brain tumors, conducted in the pediatrics department of the Gabriel Touré University Hospital Center in Bamako, Mali, from January 31, 2007 to December 3, 2012. Results: In all, 41 cases of brain tumors were recorded during this period (mean: 5.5 years old; range: 1-12 years). Brain tumors were most frequent in the children aged 2-5 years (53.7%) and among boys (53.7%). Late stage at presentation was relatively frequent (34.1%) with a mean time to diagnosis of 10 months. Features of elevated intracranial pressure were the most frequent mode of revelation of primary tumors (26.8%). Supraten-torial tumors accounted for 83% of the cases, and gliomas were most frequently (29.3%) identified on computed tomography. Only five patients underwent surgical tumor removal. Conclusion: A broader study including the other hospitals in Bamako could help to assess more accurately the epidemiology of pediatric brain tumors in Mali.