Clinical and epidemiological aspects of meningiomas among intracranial brain tumors

The global literature presents heterogeneous data on the prevalence of meningiomas among intracranial neoplasms. A number of studies indicate that the most common intracranial tumours are meningiomas, gliomas, or metastatic brain lesions. This paper presents the experience of the institution in the treatment of patients with intracranial neoplasms and a comparison of the results obtained with the data published in the literature. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relative incidence of intracranial meningiomas among all intracranial neoplasms in the Kyrgyz Republic. A retrospective analysis was conducted of 151 consecutive patients treated at the Neurosurgery Clinic of the National Hospital of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic over a 12-month period. All patients underwent neurosurgical intervention, and all tumour samples taken during surgery were subjected to histological examination for a final diagnosis. The study included patients with histologically verified intracranial neoplasms. The authors presented their own experience of diagnosis, treatment, and outcome analysis in patients with meningiomas. In addition, postoperative morbidity and mortality, and the frequency of relapses, were assessed. Given the predominantly benign histological nature of meningiomas, the success of treatment was largely determined by the specific features of the course of the postoperative period. Significant importance was attached to adequate postoperative follow-up of patients. The most frequently identified histological types of tumours were meningiomas, gliomas, and pituitary tumours. During the follow-up period, intracranial meningiomas were histologically confirmed in 48 patients (31.8%), pituitary adenomas in 35 (23.2%), and gliomas in 32 (21.2%). The average age of the patients was 43 years, the ratio of women to men was 1.3:1. The highest frequency of referrals occurred in the fifth (27.1%) and sixth (26.5%) decades of life. The maximum age range was in the age groups of 41-50 years and 51-60 years, which accounted for 27.1% and 26.5% of patients and corresponded to the fifth and sixth decades of life, respectively. With age, women account for a higher prevalence of brain tumours, while men account for a higher prevalence in childhood and younger age. The results indicate that meningioma is the most common type of tumour among intracranial neoplasms in the Kyrgyz Republic