Objective:

To describe the clinical characteristics and reasons for consultation to the physiotherapy service in pediatric outpatient subjects with an oncological diagnosis in a pediatric hospital in the city of Buenos Aires.

Materials and method:

An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective study was conducted on subjects under 18 years of age with oncological pathology who required outpatient treatment and were referred to the physiotherapy service between February 2016 and December 2018. Demographic variables, medical treatment, reasons for referral (limb salvage or amputation, muscle weakness, neuropathy, extravasation of cytostatics, postsurgical motor sequelae), and time elapsed from diagnosis to consultation were collected.

Results:

Out of a total of 1497 subjects with oncological pathology, 259 (17.3%) were referred to physiotherapy, and the most prevalent diagnosis was central nervous system tumor. One hundred fifteen (44.4%) subjects were referred for the treatment of neurological disorders, 74 (28,4%) due to weakness and/or neuropathy, 41 (15.8%) for postsurgical orthopedic rehabilitation, and 29 (11.2%) for other reasons. The most prevalent clinical presentations were acquired weakness due to prolonged immobilization and limitations in the range of motion.

Conclusions:

The epidemiology of pediatric subjects with oncological pathology who required outpatient physiotherapy was described. Most of them were diagnosed with a central nervous system tumor. The most prevalent reasons for referral were decreased range of motion and muscle weakness.

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