Retrospective Comparison of Outcomes in Pediatric Versus Adult Glioma Surgeries

Background: Paediatric and adult gliomas—the most common primary brain tumors—have different frequencies, biological activity, and clinical prognoses. Paediatric gliomas are low-grade and localised, while adult ones are high-grade and invasive. Surgical excision is still the best treatment, although tumour biology and age make it harder. Objective: This study compares the outcomes of glioma surgery in children and adults, assesses postoperative complications, and identifies factors that affect survival and recovery. Method: A retrospective observational study was conducted at Patna Medical College and Hospital’s Department of Neurosurgery in Patna, India, from January 2023 to August 2024. Histologically verified gliomas were surgically excised from 30 children and 30 adults. Patient demographics, tumour features, surgical procedures, post-surgery results, and survival rates were collected. The two groups’ outcomes were statistically compared. Results: Most juvenile gliomas were localised and low-grade, allowing 80% gross resection. Invasive development patterns caused 60% of adult gliomas to be subtotal resected, and 65% were high-grade. Paediatric patients had 20% surgical problems and quicker recovery durations than adults. Compared to adults with high-grade gliomas, children had a superior progression-free survival rate. Conclusion: This study found substantial differences in glioma characteristics and surgical outcomes between adults and children. Paediatric patients did well due to less aggressive tumour biology and better recovery. Surgical and prognostic challenges were higher for adult gliomas. These findings show that glioma treatment must account for age and that interdisciplinary teams must tailor their approaches to each patient’s demographics and tumour biology.