Clinical characteristics and surgical management of spinal cord tumors in non-Caucasian Hispanic children

Objective: Little literature exists about spinal cord tumors in Hispanic children. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review in 45 Mexican children presenting with spinal cord tumors between 1985 and 2015. Results: We observed a higher incidence of spinal cord tumors in males (62.22%). The mean age at diagnosis was 8.75 years. Tumors were more frequently observed among school-age children (42.22%). Motor deficit was the most common clinical manifestation (97.77%). Most tumors were intramedullary. Astrocytoma was the most frequent histological subtype. Laminotomy with laminoplasty was the main operative procedure performed in our study. Total resection of the tumors was achieved in 20% of the cases. Post-surgical complications were observed in 44% of the cases. Conclusions: Pediatric patients with spinal cord tumors can receive surgical management with an acceptable low surgical morbidity. The clinical phenotype observed in our population has certain similitudes with respect to what it is described in Caucasians.