# A retrospective single-centre study on the histological profile of brain and spine tumours at a tertiary hospital in Ghana

## TL;DR

This study analyzed 338 CNS tumor cases in Ghana, finding low-grade tumors like meningiomas and gliomas to be most common, with specific symptoms linked to tumor types.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed histological profile of CNS tumors in a Ghanaian tertiary hospital, highlighting symptom-tumor associations and subtype frequencies.

## Key findings

- Low-grade tumors (78.69%) were most common, with meningiomas (33.14%) and gliomas (28.40%) predominating.
- Symptoms like seizures were strongly associated with meningiomas (OR: 3.3), and visual disturbances with sellar tumors (OR: 6.7).

## Abstract

This study aimed to describe the patient demographics, clinical presentation and histological subtypes of central nervous system (CNS) tumours in a tertiary facility

Retrospective review of all the histopathological and medical records available for patients with tumours of the CNS operated on.

Neurosurgical Unit, Department of Surgery, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

All adult and paediatric patients with histopathologically diagnosed CNS tumours

Frequency of histopathological subtypes of CNS tumours

This study of 338 patients with CNS tumours showed a slight female predominance (183 females, 155 males). The mean age was 38.1 years. Brain tumours were more common (290 cases) than spinal tumours (48 cases), with symptoms like headaches (44.44%) and visual disturbance (24.31%) prevalent in brain cases, and paraparesis (35.42%) and low back pain (16.67%) in spinal cases. Certain symptoms were strongly indicative of specific tumour types, such as seizures (OR: 3.3, CI: 1.6 – 6.9, p = 0.005) with meningiomas and visual disturbances with sellar tumours (OR: 6.7, CI: 3.6 – 12.9, p<0.001). Most tumours were low-grade (78.69%). Meningiomas were the most common (33.14%), particularly meningothelial (38.39%). Gliomas, glioneuronal, and neuronal tumours were next in prevalence (28.40%), followed by sellar tumours (18.93%). Astrocytomas (60.42%) were the predominant glioma subtype.

Low-grade tumours predominate in our setting. It is prudent that we channel efforts towards prompt diagnosis and treatment of such cases.

None declared