Prevalence of central nervous system tumours and histological identification in the operated patient: 20 years of experience

Abstract Background Central nervous system tumours comprise a heterogeneous group of neoplasms with great histological diversity. Despite the rising prevalence of these tumours in developing countries, some places like Mexico and Latin America have no representative studies that show the real impact of these tumours in our population. Objective To describe the characteristics of the primary and secondary tumours of the central nervous system in the last 20 years in a Mexican institution. Material and methods Patients with histopathological diagnosis from 1993 to 2013 in our institution, grouping them according to WHO classification 2007, characterising them by age group, gender, and anatomical location. Results There were a total of 511 tumours of the central nervous system. Of those, 292 were women and 219 men, with a ratio 1.3:1, and a mean age of 49.3 years. Tumours with higher prevalence were: meningeal tumours, 171 (33%), followed by neuroepithelial, 121 (24%). Astrocytoma had the highest prevalence in paediatric patients, whereas in those older than 20 years it was the meningioma. The supratentorial location was the most involved. Conclusion This is the first study of a series of cases in Mexico that is performed by taking into account benign and malignant tumours of the central nervous system, with patients of all age groups with a range of 20 years. While this work only represents a retrospective analysis of an institution, it can be a strong indication of the epidemiology of these tumours in our environment.