Time to diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors: a report from the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Center in Rabat, Morocco

Objective Delayed diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors is known to occur worldwide but is not well studied in developing countries. Here, we examined the extent of delayed pediatric brain tumor diagnoses in Rabat, Morocco, and consider its potential causes and possible solutions. Methods We conducted a survey and interviews of the parents of children who were admitted to the Department of Hematology and Pediatric Oncology of Rabat Children’s Hospital from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016. Results The families of 27 patients (14 girls and 13 boys) participated in the survey and interview. The median patient age was 7 years (range, 1–15 years). The most common presenting symptoms were vomiting ( n = 18) and headache ( n = 17). The tumor locations were supratentorial in 13 cases and infratentorial in 14 cases. The median time to diagnosis was 2 months (range, 0.25–20 months). The longest times to diagnosis occurred in children older than 5 years and in patients with supratentorial tumors or low-grade glioma. We did not observe any differences in the time to diagnosis according to sex, socioeconomic status, or urban or rural origin. Conclusions Delayed diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors is a universal problem, evidenced by many studies in different countries. We propose that a paradigm shift in medical curricula addressing the delayed diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors should occur in medical schools and clinical training programs.