First Report of Meningiomas Frequency in Mozambique
Mircya Mitha Hamide Mandawa Maocha*, Enoque Langa, Sara Massuangane, Adilson de Oliveira, Eva Timoteo and Sergio Salvador
ABSTRACT
The main objective of this work is to determine the frequency of meningiomas diagnosed at the Maputo Central Hospital, in the Pathological Anatomy service and Neurosurgery service. Meningiomas represent the most common primary brain tumors, representing around 33.8% to 36.6% of all brain tumors. Around 26,000 cases arise per year, and risk factors include, in addition to age, sex, and exposure to radiation. A retrospective, descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out and data collection was carried out retrospectively from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2017.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed, Inclusion criteria were all ages, histological comparison of the diagnosis. Only surgical cases were included.
Results: Between 2013 and 2017, 62 intracranial tumors were diagnosed at Maputo Central Hospital, with meningiomas comprising 70% of cases, followed by astrocytomas (18%) and oligodendrogliomas (3%). Meningiomas were more common in females (51.1%) and most frequent in patients aged 35–54 years. Histologically, psammomatous (36%), transitional (32%), and meningothelial (28%) subtypes predominated, while other variants were rare (4%). The annual proportion of meningiomas varied from 40% to 100% of all brain tumors. This represents the first epidemiological and histopathological profile of meningiomas reported in Mozambique.
Conclusion: This first report on meningiomas in Mozambique reveals a high proportion of benign subtypes, with peak incidence occurring at a younger age than internationally reported. Findings highlight the central role of surgery in a resource-limited setting and the need to improve postoperative documentation. Multicenter, prospective studies with molecular profiling are recommended to optimize management and outcomes. There are no specific publications on the frequency of meningiomas in Mozambique, which highlights the importance of the study carried out.
