Symptoms

Children with a CNS tumor may experience the following symptoms. Sometimes, children with a CNS tumor do not show any of these symptoms. Or, these symptoms may be caused by a medical condition that is not a tumor. If you are concerned about a symptom on this list, please talk with your child’s doctor.

The symptoms of a CNS tumor depend on where the tumor is located and can affect any of the brain’s functions. The following symptoms may indicate the presence of a CNS tumor:

• A seizure or convulsion
  
  
• Staring or repetitive automatic movements (a neck tilt or a squint)
  
  
• Unexplained, persistent nausea and projectile vomiting
  
  
• Weakness or clumsiness that seems to get worse (difficulty walking and balancing)
  
  
• Early or delayed puberty, or delayed or abnormal growth
  
  
• Sleep apnea (periodically stop breathing while asleep)
  
  
• Vision problems
  
  
• Headache, which may wake a child up at night or develop early in the morning
  
  
• Pain, especially back pain
  
  
• Irritability, listlessness, or changes in personality

In a baby, the only symptom may be that the head is growing too fast. An infant’s skull can expand to make room for a growing tumor, so the baby may have a larger than normal head.