Duration between onset and diagnosis in central nervous system tumors: Impact on prognosis and functional outcome

Background The initial presentation of central nervous system (CNS) tumors in children frequently mimics other more common and less serious conditions, resulting in diagnostic difficulty and a prolonged time to diagnosis. Yet whether early diagnosis contributes to better life prognosis and functional outcome has not been elucidated. Only a few such reports have originated from Japan, where neuroimaging techniques are the best in the world. We examined the time to diagnosis, the so-called prediagnostic symptomatic interval (PSI), and its impact on prognosis and functional outcome in children with CNS tumors. Methods We reviewed the records of 127 patients aged