Intracranial neoplasms in Ibadan, Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE To determine the pattern of histopathological variants of intracranial neoplasms, relative distribution of the variants in the age groups and also to determine the gender differences that exist in these tumours. DESIGN Case control study. SETTING Department of Pathology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. PATIENTS Two hundred and ten histologically confirmed cases of intracranial neoplasms seen during eleven-year period (1980 to 1990) were analysed. INTERVENTIONS Slides of tumours stained with haematoxylin and eosin, reticulin and phosphotungstic acid haematoxylin. RESULTS Two hundred and ten intracronial neoplasms comprising 172 primary and 48 secondary neoplasms were seen. One hundred and thirty five neoplasms occurred in adults and 75 in children. There was no gender difference, the ratio being 1:1. Gliomas accounted for the largest group of tumours followed by metastases to the brain. Of the gliomas, astrocytoma was the commonest. Craniopharyngiomas were found to be common in children. Germ cell tumours were found to be uncommon. CONCLUSION Gliomas are the commonest group of intracranial neoplasms in both adults and children. This is followed by metastatic tumours. Tumours of the sella turcica are predominantly found in children. Involvement of the brain in disseminated Burkitt's lymphomas is predominantly found in Africans as the Burkitt's tumour is uncommon in non Africans.