Central nervous system tumors among Koreans--a statistical study on 697 cases

Area of Science:

• Neuro-oncology
• Epidemiology
• Pathology

Background:

• Central nervous system (CNS) tumors represent a significant health concern.
• Understanding the epidemiology of CNS tumors is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
• Previous studies in Korea provide a baseline for evaluating recent trends.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the relative frequencies of intracranial and intraspinal tumors in Korean patients.
• To compare current trends with previous findings in Korea and internationally.
• To analyze age- and sex-specific incidence patterns of CNS tumors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 697 CNS tumor cases diagnosed between 1980 and 1987.
• Tumor classification based on the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria.
• Data collected from Seoul National University Hospital and Children's Hospital pathology files.

Main Results:

• Intracranial tumors (663) were more frequent than intraspinal tumors (34).
• Common intracranial tumors included pituitary adenoma (23.4%), meningioma (20.8%), astrocytoma (11.8%), and medulloblastoma (5.6%).
• In children (<15 years), medulloblastoma (25.6%), astrocytoma (21.6%), ependymoma (13.6%), and craniopharyngioma (12%) were prevalent. Male preponderance was noted in the juvenile group (1.49:1).

Conclusions:

• The study provides updated epidemiological data on CNS tumors in Korea.
• Findings highlight differences in tumor types between adult and pediatric populations.
• Comparison with prior studies indicates a shift in the relative frequency of intraspinal tumors.