TITLE:
Clinico-Pathological Profile of Malignant Abdominal Tumors in Children: Experience of the Pediatric Oncology Unit in Bamako
AUTHORS:
Abdoul Karim Doumbia, Adama Dembele, Pierre Togo, Oumar Coulibaly, Arsene Dackono, Mohamed Elmouloud Cissé, Fousseyni Traoré, Hawa Diall, Boubacar Togo, Abdoul Aziz Diakité, Yakaria Coulibaly, Cheick Bougadary Traore, Lala N’drainy Sidibe, Belco Maiga, Diakite Fatoumata Léonie Francois, Karamoko Sacko, Djeneba Konaté, Guediouma Dembele, Hacimi Poma, Adama Bah, Djibril Kassogue, Oumar Keita, Ibrahim Ahamadou
KEYWORDS:
Cancer, Abdomen, Child, Sub-Saharan Africa
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.11 No.4,
November
17,
2021
ABSTRACT: Introduction: the objective was to
describe the epidemiological and histological aspects of malignant abdominal
tumors in children. Methodology: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional
study conducted from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018. We included all
patients aged 0 to 15 years with histologically confirmed abdominal
malignancies. Results: We collected 46 files of malignant tumors of the abdomen
(35% of pediatric cancers). The majority of patients were under 5 years old
(65%). The sex ratio was 1.7. They were generally from disadvantaged
socio-economic backgrounds (67%). The average consultation time was 50 days.
The main reasons for consultation were abdominal mass (48%), pain (17%) or
distension (9%). The mass was large, hard (89%), immobile (71%) and painful
(46%). Malnutrition was found in 80% of patients. The mass was retro-peritoneal
in 63% of cases and renal in 54%. It was solid in 94% of cases and
heterogeneous in 76% of cases. The assay for tumor markers was not performed.
Anemia was present in all patients. Fine needle aspiration was performed in
43%, biopsy in 37% and myelogram in 15% of cases. spinal cord involvement was
observed in 28% of Burkitt’s cases. The main cancers diagnosed were
nephroblastoma (52%), Burkitt’s lymphoma (26%) and neuroblastoma (13%). Stage 1
and stage 2 were frequent in 20% and 22% of cases, respectively; 36% of cases
were not staged. The average duration of chemotherapy was 11 weeks. Total
resection was performed in 30% of cases. The outcome of the patients was marked
by total remission in 65%. Conclusion: Abdominal malignancies are very
common in children. The diagnosis of certainty is late in our context.