Obstetric outcomes of women with intracranial neoplasms

To determine the obstetric outcomes of women diagnosed with a primary intracranial neoplasm prior to or during pregnancy and the puerperium.

Demographic data, neurologic, obstetric, and neonatal outcomes were extracted retrospectively from charts identified from two hospital databases.

Twenty-two patients with 25 pregnancies were identified. Thirteen patients were diagnosed prior to pregnancy (group 1); tumor growth or recurrence during pregnancy occurred in 3 patients. Nine patients were diagnosed during pregnancy and the puerperium (group 2); 7 underwent neurosurgery at a mean gestational age of 27+/-5.7 weeks; 2 experienced permanent visual loss. Significantly more gliomas occurred in group 1, but there were significantly more meningiomas in group 2. Numbers of cesarean delivery, preterm delivery at less than 34 weeks, and NICU admission were higher in group 2 than group 1, but this was not statistically significant.

Although not statistically significant, neurologic deterioration during pregnancy may be associated with cesarean delivery, preterm delivery, and NICU admission.