Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Objective To describe the clinicoradiological profile, surgical outcomes, prognostic factors, and overall survival of infants undergoing resection for intracranial brain tumors at a tertiary neurosurgical center. Methods A retrospective review of patients aged ≤ 12 months who had primary intracranial brain tumor surgery was conducted, with data on demographics, radiology, surgery, pathology, and follow-up from records, survival rates, and surgical predictive factors. Results The cohort included 141 infants (mean age 8 months), mostly with supratentorial tumors and a slight male predominance. Factors like advanced paternal age, consanguinity, cesarean delivery, and preterm birth were linked to tumor occurrence. Most children showed progressive head enlargement and developmental delay; symptoms lasted shorter in malignant than benign tumors. AT/RT was the most common type. Patients received risk-adapted chemotherapy; some benign lesions were only monitored after excision, while early death and poor health prevented chemo in some malignant cases. Overall survival was 90.9% for benign tumors and 41.6% for malignant tumors, with median survivals of 109.4 and 18 months, respectively. Most survivors had good long-term outcomes. Malignant tumors were associated with shorter symptom duration, larger size (> 60 cm³), solid consistency, infratentorial location, hydrocephalus, craniospinal spread, preterm birth, and intraoperative complications. Poorer outcomes are linked to younger age, male gender, lower birth order, preoperative hydrocephalus, craniospinal spread, and surgical complications. Conclusions Early diagnosis—preferably at or before birth—allows prompt intervention and better outcomes. New findings, like advanced paternal age and consanguineous marriage, drive further research. Careful staging to reduce risks, followed by personalized therapy, is key to long-term survival and quality of life.</p>