Incidence of Central Nervous System Tumors in Patients Hospitalized at Split University Hospital Centre During a Ten-Year Period (January 1, 2004 – December 31, 2013)

Abstract

The aim was to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of central nervous system tumors in patients hospitalized at the Department of Neurology, Split University Hospital Centre, during a 10-year period. The study included data on 859 patients with the diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) tumor. Diagnosis was based on the routine CNS neuroimaging methods (computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging). Access to patient medical records provided demographic and clinical data, continued by collection of data on potential lethal outcome of patients at the Registrar's Office. The study was conducted at the Department of Neurology, Split University Hospital Centre, from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2013. There were 448 male and 411 female patients. Median age at the diagnosis was 65 (range, 18-95) years. Primary CNS tumors were diagnosed in 527 patients, including 30 primary recurrent tumors, whereas 328 patients had metastatic tumors; in 4 cases, it was impossible to determine whether the tumor was a primary one or metastasis based on CNS neuroimaging. The primary tumors proved to be more common than the metastatic ones (χ2-test, p<0.05). Multiple tumor transplants were more common than solitary (211 vs. 117; the conclusion was made at a 95% level of confidence; χ2-test, p<0.05). The majority of metastases originated from the lung (bronchus and pleura cancer; 46.41%; χ2-test, p<0.05; 95% CI). The most common localization of CNS tumors was supratentorial. Based on the double-logarithmic model, we proved with statistical significance that there was an increase in the incidence of CNS tumors (p=0.001). The most common tumors studied were supratentorially localized meningiomas.