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Meningioma - defining characteristics of the affected Pakistani population
Mashal Murad Shah1, Muhammad Usman Khalid1, Mohammad Hamza Bajwa1
1The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi,Pakistan.
Objective:
To ascertain the age and gender differences, treatment, and management of meningiomas across Pakistan..
Methods:
Data were collected as part of the PBTES, and patients with a histopathological diagnosis of an intracranial meningioma in 2019 that presented at these centres were included in this cohort study sub-analysis. Thirty-two centres participated in the study. Medical students, residents, and faculty collated data from medical records.
Results:
Our data indicate that meningiomas constitute 15.6% of all intracranial tumours in Pakistan and occur more often in females (236, 55%) than in males. The mean age at diagnosis was 43.7 ± 19.9 years. Meningiomas had a slightly higher preponderance in the right hemisphere of the brain at 203 (47.32%) tumours and 267 (62.2%) of the tumours in the frontal and parietal lobes. We found that 174 (61.3%) of all meningiomas diagnosed in Pakistan in 2019 were grade I tumours, which was also the most commonly occurring tumour grade. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for meningiomas was rarely observed in Pakistan.
Conclusions:
The PBTES reveals a low hospital-based incidence of meningiomas in 2019 when compared to the incidence in high-income countries but found evidence similar to those of other LMICs. Tumour characteristics, such as location, grading and surgical procedures, were similar to global literature.
Insights
Meningiomas are more common in females in Pakistan, with most diagnosed as grade I tumors. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy is rarely used for meningioma treatment in the region.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Epidemiology
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Meningiomas represent a significant portion of intracranial tumors.
- Understanding demographic and clinical characteristics is crucial for management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age and gender disparities in meningioma cases in Pakistan.
- To analyze treatment and management patterns of meningiomas within Pakistan.
Main Methods:
- A sub-analysis of the Pakistan Brain Tumor Epidemiology Study (PBTES) cohort.
- Inclusion of patients with histopathologically confirmed intracranial meningiomas diagnosed in 2019.
- Data collection from 32 participating centers via medical records.
Main Results:
- Meningiomas constitute 15.6% of all intracranial tumors in Pakistan.
- Higher incidence observed in females (55%) compared to males, with a mean age at diagnosis of 43.7 years.
- Grade I tumors were most common (61.3%), predominantly located in the right hemisphere, frontal, and parietal lobes. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy was rarely employed.
Conclusions:
- Pakistan shows a lower hospital-based incidence of meningiomas compared to high-income nations, aligning with other lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- Tumor characteristics like location and grading align with global findings.
- Limited use of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy noted.
