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Rajagopal R, Moreira DC, Faughnan L, Wang H, Naqvi S, Krull L, Vasquez L, Diaz-Coronado R, Terao M, Devidas M, Qaddoumi I. An international multicenter survey reveals health care providers' knowledge gap in childhood central nervous system tumors. Eur J Pediatr 2023; 182:557-565. [PMID: 36383283 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-022-04712-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumors have longer delays in diagnosis than do other pediatric malignancies because health care providers (HCPs) lack awareness about clinical presentation of these tumors. To evaluate the knowledge gap among HCPs, we conducted a global cross-sectional survey. The survey consisted of a set of CNS tumor knowledge questions focused on symptoms, signs, and imaging indications. The survey was disseminated to HCPs via email (November 2018-March 2020). Participants had to complete a pre-test survey, attend an education seminar on CNS tumors, and complete a post-test survey. The knowledge gap was evaluated using pre-test and post-test scores. We received 889 pre-test and 392 post-test responses. Most respondents were from Asia (73.1% of pre-test responses; 87.5% of post-test responses). The median pre-test score was 40.0% (range: 13.1-92.9%). A high percentage of correct answers were given in post-test responses (median score: 77.1%, range: 14.9-98.2%). In the pre-test, 18.7% of participants accurately responded that Cushing's triad was a less common symptom, and 15.0% recognized that children aged > 10 years are at risk of late diagnosis. Surprisingly, 21.9% falsely reported that patients with malignancy experienced the longest pre-diagnostic symptom interval, and 54.5% of respondents wrongly selected medulloblastoma as the most common CNS tumor. Overall, pediatricians demonstrated a greater knowledge gap on both surveys than did other specialties. Conclusion: Pre- and post-test surveys revealed significant knowledge gaps in childhood CNS tumors among HCPs. Thus, raising professional awareness on clinical presentations of CNS tumors through educational strategies is important to address this knowledge deficit. What is Known: • Diagnostic delay in childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumors continues to be a significant problem that negatively impacts the quality of life and treatment sequelae. • Lack of medical education on CNS tumors is a contributing factor to this problem. What is New: • Most health care providers do not realize that low-grade tumors are the most common neoplasm in children. • Health care providers fail to recognize that teenagers and adolescents are a vulnerable age group for diagnostic delays, with the longest pre-diagnostic symptom interval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Revathi Rajagopal
- Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh, Malaysia
| | - Daniel C Moreira
- Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Lane Faughnan
- Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Huiqi Wang
- Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sameen Naqvi
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology, and Oncology, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lisa Krull
- Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Liliana Vasquez
- Centro de Investigación de Medicina de Precision, Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Facultad de Medicina, Lima, Peru.,Unit of Non-Communicable Diseases, Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rosdali Diaz-Coronado
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas (INEN), Lima, Peru
| | - Michael Terao
- Office of Student Learning, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Meenakshi Devidas
- Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ibrahim Qaddoumi
- Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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Sherman SJ, Tanaka R, Qaddoumi I. Psychiatric symptoms in children with low-grade glioma and craniopharyngioma: A systematic review. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 148:240-249. [PMID: 35149436 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The presentation of psychiatric symptoms in pediatric low-grade brain tumors is challenging because this can delay proper diagnosis and treatment. We performed a systematic review of psychiatric presenting symptoms of low-grade brain tumors in pediatric patients. We searched the PubMed and Web of Science databases of studies published in English from 1977 until 2019 reporting patients aged ≤21 years at the time of tumor diagnosis who exhibited psychiatric/behavioral symptoms before diagnosis of low-grade glioma (LGG), pilocytic astrocytoma (PA), or craniopharyngioma (CP). Our systematic search strategy coupled each tumor type with patient age and presenting symptoms by using different variations of the search terms "childhood" and "psychiatric symptoms" or "behavioral symptoms." We identified six unique articles that met our inclusion criteria in the LGG search, 27 in the PA search, and 32 in the CP search. Six patients were included in the LGG articles (age range, 3-16 years), 75 in the PA articles (age range, 0.5-21 years), and 87 in the CP articles (age range, 0.67-21 years). The most common presenting symptoms included eating disorders (n = 64) and behavioral changes (n = 49). Our findings demonstrate the need to establish clear criteria for neuroimaging indications for pediatric patients exhibiting eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Sherman
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ryuma Tanaka
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Ibrahim Qaddoumi
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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Madhusoodanan S, Ting MB, Wilson SY. The psychopharmacology of primary and metastatic brain tumors and paraneoplastic syndromes. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2019; 165:269-283. [PMID: 31727217 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64012-3.00016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Brain tumors and paraneoplastic syndromes can cause various neuropsychiatric symptoms. Rarely, psychiatric symptoms may be the initial presentation of the underlying neurologic lesion. Brain imaging studies are crucial in the diagnosis of brain tumors. Paraneoplastic syndromes are mostly immune-mediated, and antineuronal antibodies may be detected in the blood or cerebrospinal fluid. Clinical suspicion is very important in assisting the diagnostic workup. Treatment of the psychiatric symptoms depends on the nature of the symptoms. Selection of the psychotropic agent has to be done carefully to minimize complications such as seizures and delirium secondary to anticholinergic toxicity. With advances in targeted therapies, immunology, and genetics, the future appears more promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramoniam Madhusoodanan
- Department of Psychiatry, St. John's Episcopal Hospital, New York, NY, United States; Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Mark Bryan Ting
- Community Behavioral Health Center, Fresno, CA, United States
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Pascual JM, Prieto R, Castro-Dufourny I, Mongardi L, Rosdolsky M, Strauss S, Carrasco R, Barrios L. Craniopharyngiomas Primarily Involving the Hypothalamus: A Model of Neurosurgical Lesions to Elucidate the Neurobiological Basis of Psychiatric Disorders. World Neurosurg 2018; 120:e1245-e1278. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2018.09.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Madhusoodanan S, Ting MB, Farah T, Ugur U. Psychiatric aspects of brain tumors: A review. World J Psychiatry 2015; 5:273-285. [PMID: 26425442 PMCID: PMC4582304 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v5.i3.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 08/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Infrequently, psychiatric symptoms may be the only manifestation of brain tumors. They may present with mood symptoms, psychosis, memory problems, personality changes, anxiety, or anorexia. Symptoms may be misleading, complicating the clinical picture. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted regarding reports of brain tumors and psychiatric symptoms from 1956-2014. Search engines used include PubMed, Ovid, Psych Info, MEDLINE, and MedScape. Search terms included psychiatric manifestations/symptoms, brain tumors/neoplasms. Our literature search yielded case reports, case studies, and case series. There are no double blind studies except for post-diagnosis/-surgery studies. Early diagnosis is critical for improved quality of life. Symptoms that suggest work-up with neuroimaging include: new-onset psychosis, mood/memory symptoms, occurrence of new or atypical symptoms, personality changes, and anorexia without body dysmorphic symptoms. This article reviews the existing literature regarding the diagnosis and management of this clinically complex condition.
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Hensgens TB, Bloemer E, Schouten-van Meeteren AYN, Zwaan CM, Van den Bos C, Huyser C, Kaspers GJL. Psychiatric symptoms causing delay in diagnosing childhood cancer: two case reports and literature review. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2013; 22:443-50. [PMID: 23296472 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-012-0349-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2012] [Accepted: 11/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A somatic disorder may initially be overlooked when a child presents with psychiatric symptoms. We report two children with anorexia nervosa as initial diagnosis and in whom there was a delay in the final diagnosis of the underlying malignancy. A literature survey was performed including patients under 18 years of age with psychiatric symptoms in whom later on an oncological diagnosis became evident as an explanation. RESULTS We have found 30 additional cases, with a median delay of 12 months until the diagnosis of the tumour. Overall, 16 boys and 16 girls had a solid tumour: 26 central nervous system tumours, 3 tumours of the gastrointestinal tract and 3 others. In 25 out of 32 patients anorexia nervosa was assumed, although it always appeared to be atypical. Patients younger than 7 years had a significantly longer delay until final diagnosis, while no other patient characteristics correlated with such delay. DISCUSSION In addition to careful physical (including full neurological) examination, we advise additional neuroimaging especially in each case of atypical presentation of anorexia nervosa, in order to avoid a delay in diagnosis of a possible malignancy. Furthermore, it is desirable to perform a re-examination when a psychiatric disorder does not respond to therapy, in order not to overlook an underlying oncological disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- T B Hensgens
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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