Clinical and Demographic Characteristics of Patients with Intracranial Meningiomas: A Descriptive Analysis

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Intracranial meningiomas are common primary central nervous system tumors with variable clinical presentation and demographic distribution. Understanding their clinical and demographic profile is essential for early recognition and appropriate management. Methods & Materials: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital (NINS&H), Agargaon, Dhaka, from April 2021 to September 2022 among 67 consecutive patients with radiologically and clinically diagnosed intracranial meningioma who underwent surgical treatment. Results: The majority of patients were in the 41-50 years age group (31.3%), followed by 31-40 years (23.9%) and 51-60 years (19.4%), with a mean age of 43.55±11.76 years (range 19-65 years). Females comprised 67% of cases, with a female-to-male ratio of 2:1. Headache was the most common presenting symptom (81.1%), followed by weakness (40.3%), visual disturbance (24%) and vomiting (8%). Neurological findings included motor signs in 40.3%, cranial nerve involvement in 38.8%, altered consciousness in 6%, aphasia/dysphasia in 9%, sensory signs in 9%, cerebellar signs in 4.5%, autonomic dysfunction in 7.5% and other signs in 7.5%. Convexity meningiomas were most frequent (34.3%), followed by falcine/parasagittal (31.3%) and skull base lesions (25.4%), with sphenoid wing being the most common skull base subtype. Conclusion: Intracranial meningiomas predominantly affect middle-aged females and most commonly present with headache and focal neurological deficits. Convexity and parasagittal regions are the most frequent tumor locations. These findings highlight characteristic clinical and demographic patterns that may aid early diagnosis and management.