, Ekrem Unal 2
, Huseyin Per 3
, Sefer Kumandas 3
, Mehmet Canpolat 3
, Ferhan Elmali 4
, Alper Ozcan 2
, Ebru Yilmaz 2
, Musa Karakukcu 3
, Mehmet Akif Ozdemir 2
, Turkan Patiroglu 2
, Hakan Gumus 3
2Erciyes University Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Talas Kayseri, Turkey.
3Erciyes University Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Talas Kayseri, Turkey
4Erciyes University Medical Faculty, Department of Bioistatistics, Talas Kayseri, Turkey
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to determine the neurological complications, etiological factors, and sequelae in children with cancer.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective study examined the etiological factors, treatments, and outcomes of neurological complications in 794 children diagnosed with cancer at Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine.
Results: The average age of the participants was 6.8 years (mean 6.8±4.8 years), including 448 (56.4%) boys, and 346 (43.6%) girls. A total of 506 neurological complications were identified in 313 children (39.4%). The most common neurological complications were walking difficulties, headaches, convulsions, and disorders affecting strength, vision, and hearing. The rate of neurological complications was 26.6% among patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with no significant association found between risk groups and the occurrence of neurological complications. However, a significant relationship was observed between neurological complications and increased mortality.
Conclusion: The rate of neurological complications was found to be higher in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) compared to those with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Neurological complications emerge as a risk factor for mortality among children with systemic cancer.