• LimMervyn Jun RuiMJRDivision of Neurosurgery, National University Health System, Singapore., Yilong Zheng, EngSean Wai-OnnSWYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore., Celest Wen Ting Seah, Shuning Fu, Lucas Zheng Long Lam, Joel Yat Seng Wong, Balamurugan Vellayappan, Andrea Li-Ann Wong, Kejia Teo, Vincent Diong Weng Nga, Sein Lwin, and Tseng Tsai Yeo.
• Division of Neurosurgery, National University Health System, Singapore.
• Singapore Med J. 2023 Aug 23.

IntroductionThe most recent local study on the incidence of histological subtypes of all brain and spinal tumours treated surgically was published in 2000. In view of the outdated data, we investigated the presenting characteristics, histological subtypes and outcomes of adult patients who underwent surgery for brain or spinal tumours at our institution.MethodsA single-centre retrospective review of 501 patients who underwent surgery for brain or spinal tumours from 2016 to 2020 was conducted. The inclusion criteria were (a) patients who had a brain or spinal tumour that was histologically verified and (b) patients who were aged 18 years and above at the time of surgery.ResultsFour hundred and thirty-five patients (86.8%) had brain tumours and 66 patients (13.2%) had spinal tumours. Patients with brain tumours frequently presented with cranial nerve palsy, headache and weakness, while patients with spinal tumours frequently presented with weakness, numbness and back pain. Overall, the most common histological types of brain and spinal tumours were metastases, meningiomas and tumours of the sellar region. The most common complications after surgery were cerebrospinal fluid leak, diabetes insipidus and urinary tract infection. In addition, 15.2% of the brain tumours and 13.6% of the spinal tumours recurred, while 25.7% of patients with brain tumours and 18.2% of patients with spinal tumours died. High-grade gliomas and metastases had the poorest survival and highest recurrence rates.ConclusionThis study serves as a comprehensive update of the epidemiology of brain and spinal tumours and could help guide further studies on brain and spinal tumours.

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