This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Christopher J. Chiu, MD: Welcome back to The Cribsiders. This is a Medscape video recap of one of our recent podcasts. Jessica, what topic are we reviewing today?
Jessica Hane, MD, MPH, MBA: Today we're talking about pediatric brain tumors. We recently chatted with Dr Trent Hummel, a pediatric neuro-oncologist, about when to consider the brain tumor diagnosis, what to do for workup and treatment, as well as how to approach these difficult conversations with families.
Chiu: As pediatricians, we never really want to miss a diagnosis, but I think a brain tumor in particular is a diagnosis we're all a little afraid of missing. What are some red-flag signs and symptoms we should be looking for?
Hane: The first one that comes to mind, probably for all of us, is headache. We talked a lot about that on the podcast, particularly the specific characteristics of the headache. Worrisome headaches are those that are severe or sudden in onset. They're often persistent and progressive — the pain gets worse. Patients often complain of having pain when first waking up in the morning or positional headaches. Vomiting followed by the headache actually getting better is a big red flag for increased intracranial pressure.
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COMMENTARY
Pediatric Brain Tumor: A Diagnosis You Don't Want to Miss
Christopher J. Chiu, MD; Jessica Hane, MD, MPH, MBA
DisclosuresSeptember 28, 2023
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Christopher J. Chiu, MD: Welcome back to The Cribsiders. This is a Medscape video recap of one of our recent podcasts. Jessica, what topic are we reviewing today?
Jessica Hane, MD, MPH, MBA: Today we're talking about pediatric brain tumors. We recently chatted with Dr Trent Hummel, a pediatric neuro-oncologist, about when to consider the brain tumor diagnosis, what to do for workup and treatment, as well as how to approach these difficult conversations with families.
Chiu: As pediatricians, we never really want to miss a diagnosis, but I think a brain tumor in particular is a diagnosis we're all a little afraid of missing. What are some red-flag signs and symptoms we should be looking for?
Hane: The first one that comes to mind, probably for all of us, is headache. We talked a lot about that on the podcast, particularly the specific characteristics of the headache. Worrisome headaches are those that are severe or sudden in onset. They're often persistent and progressive — the pain gets worse. Patients often complain of having pain when first waking up in the morning or positional headaches. Vomiting followed by the headache actually getting better is a big red flag for increased intracranial pressure.
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Cite this: Pediatric Brain Tumor: A Diagnosis You Don't Want to Miss - Medscape - Sep 28, 2023.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Authors
Christopher J. Chiu, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Ohio State University School of Medicine; Lead Physician, General Internal Medicine, OSU Outpatient Care East; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
Disclosure: Christopher J. Chiu, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Jessica Hane, MD, MPH, MBA
Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota; Internal Medicine and Pediatric Hospitalist, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Disclosure: Jessica Hane, MD, MPH, MBA, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.