Abstract Background Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs) are aggressive central nervous system (CNS) tumors associated with poor survival worldwide. Data from low- and middle-income countries remain scarce, and to date, no published studies have described outcomes of pHGGs in Honduras. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of pediatric patients diagnosed with pHGGs at Hospital Escuela in Honduras between 2017-2024. Demographic data, clinical presentation, tumor location and histology, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes were analyzed. Results There were 143 patients with CNS tumors and 12.5% were pHGG. DMG brainstem NOS represented 50% of patients, with a mean age of 7.6 years (range 0-17 years), and 66.7% were females. No surgical procedure was performed in 44% of those with DMG brainstem NOS, while subtotal resection was achieved in 44% of those with non-pontine HGG. Focal radiotherapy was administered in 84.6%, and 35.7% were treated with adjuvant carboplatin, vincristine (VCR), and temozolomide (TMZ). Treatment abandonment was noted in 5.6%, and 20% of brainstem DMG refused therapy. Two-year overall survival (OS) was 49.4% and median OS was 14 months. Conclusions This study represents the first attempt to report the outcomes of pHGGs in Honduras. The findings highlight significant therapeutic challenges that contribute to inferior outcomes. Improved neurosurgical techniques, improving access to molecular profiling, and developing context-adapted treatment protocols are critical to improving care for children with pHGGs in Honduras and similar resource-limited settings.
Medina et al. (2026) studied this question.