Glioma of the central nervous system: factors affecting the outcome

Glioma is one of the most common brain tumors but the outcome of treatment is still uncertain. The author conducted this study to find the prognostic factors affecting the outcome. The medical records of 41 patients, diagnosed as having glioma, admitted to the Neurosurgery Division, Prasat Neurological Hospital, between January 1998 and December 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. Gender, age, history of smoking and alcohol drinking, symptoms and signs, CT and MRI findings, underlying pathology, locations of lesions, treatments and outcomes were analysed. There were 20 males and 21 females with ages ranging from 2 to 75 years. The mean age was 39.78 +/- 19.81 years old. The three most common presenting symptoms were headache, motor weakness, and seizures. The predominant location of the tumors was in the cerebral hemisphere. Most low grade astrocytoma show low/iso-density with slight contrast enhanced in CT scan. The patients were divided into two groups according to the outcome, improved and dead. Gender, age, history of smoking and alcohol drinking, location of tumors did not have any effect on the outcome. The factors affecting the outcome of treatment were histological subtypes and types of treatment. There was a statistically significantly better outcome in low grade astrocytoma and tumor removal with irradiation. The overall mortality was 21.95 per cent after two years.