Analytic study of clinical presentation of intracranial space-occupying lesions in adult patients

摘要

Intracranial space-occupying lesions can be caused by a variety of disease processes, ranging from neoplasms to non-neoplastic lesions including hematomas, abscesses and vascular malformations. This article provides an overview of varied clinical presentations of patients with intracranial space-occupying lesions.Methods:A total of 200 cases of intracranial space-occupying lesions presenting at Neuro Clinic and Care were retrospectively analyzed. Adult patients from all age groups and both genders were included in this study. Results: 165 patients (82.5%) had neoplastic lesions while 35 (17.5%) had non-neoplastic lesions. Metastatic lesions from primary tumor elsewhere in the body comprised the most common group with81 cases (40.5%), followed by meningiomas with 27 cases (13.5%). Males were affected slightly more than females (1:0.8). The most common presenting symptom was headache 87 patients (43.5%,) followed by focal symptoms such as numbness, tingling or weakness being present in 80 (40%)and seizures observed in 65 (32.5%).Conclusion: The study reviews the wide range of symptoms the patients with intracranial space-occupying lesions present with, the most common being headache, followed by focal symptoms such as numbness, tingling or weakness, seizures and vomiting. Knowledge of these typical as well as atypical patterns of clinical presentation can aid physicians in timely detection and prompt application of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.