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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Asian J Neurosurg 2021; 16(02): 294-299
DOI: 10.4103/ajns.AJNS_404_20
Original Article

Landscape, presentation, and characteristics of brain gliomas in Zimbabwe

Luxwell Jokonya
1   Department of Surgery, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
2   Department of Optics and Imaging, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
,
Aaron Musara
1   Department of Surgery, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
,
Ignatius Esene
3   Division of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bamenda, Bamenda
,
Tariro Mduluza-Jokonya
2   Department of Optics and Imaging, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
,
Rudo Makunike-Mutasa
4   Department of Histopathology, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare
,
Sally Rothemeyer
5   Division of Neurosurgery, University of Cape Town, Cape Town
,
Kazadi Ntenge Kalangu
1   Department of Surgery, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
,
Takafira Mduluza
6   Department of Biochemistry, University of Zimbabwe, Harare
,
Thajasvarie Naicker
2   Department of Optics and Imaging, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Introduction: Gliomas are tumors of the supporting cells of the central nervous system. They have great heterogeneity in their clinical and pathological features as well as prognosis. There is paucity of glioma epidemiology data in Zimbabwe. We carried out a study to determine the landscape, presentation, and characteristics of brain gliomas in Zimbabwe. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Zimbabwe over a 2 years period to determine descriptive epidemiological data with regards to demographic distribution, presentation, and tumor characteristics. Consecutive patients from across the country with brain gliomas were recruited in the study. Results: A total of 112 brain tumors were diagnosed histologically. Of these 43.8% (n = 49) were gliomas and hence recruited in the study. The mean age of study participants was 40.3 years (standard deviation = 23.1 years), range 3–83 years. Male to female ratio (M:F) was 1:1. The study population consisted of 14% caucasians (n = 7), 83.7% black (n = 41), and 2% (n = 1) were of mixed race. Eighty-six percent (n = 42) of participants were from urban areas. The most common presenting complaint was headache in 87.8% (n = 43). The majority (61.2%) presented with a Karnofsky score ≥70%. Astrocytomas were the most common gliomas constituting 57.1% (n = 28), followed by ependymomas and oligodendrogliomas being 8.1% (n = 4) each. There was no statistical difference in the hemisphere of the brain involved (P = 0.475). Eight percent of the population were HIV positive (n = 4). Age above 60 years has an adjusted odds ratio of 13 for presenting with high-grade tumors. Conclusion: There is a disproportionately high number of gliomas among Caucasians, urban dwellers, and those gainfully employed. The prevalence of HIV in glioma patients is less than that of the general population.

Key-words:

Brain glioma - brain tumors - epidemiology of brain glioma - Zimbabwe

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.




Publication History

Received: 22 August 2020

Accepted: 05 January 2021

Article published online:
16 August 2022

© 2021. Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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