Brain tumors of astrocytic lineage. Epidemiological and clinical characterization

Abstract

A retrospective, descriptive and transversal study was carried out in the hospital ”Arnaldo Milian Castro” in the period from August 1998 to August 2005 in patients histologically diagnosed with malignant brain tumors of astrocytic lineage. In the process of this study was made a characterization of patients that suffered from malignant brain tumors of astrocytic lineage. Some parametrs were taken into account such as: age, sex, race, clinical manifestations, diagnostic means, more frecuent localization and histologic grade. Using these variables and the percent method was found that these tumors frecuently appear after fifties, in persons of male sex and white race. Endocraneal hypertensión, headache and neurological localization symptoms were most frecuent. The most useful means for the diagnosis proved to be the computer axial tomography. The basic localization of tumor was detected in the brain hemispheres, and was found also a malignant tumors' predominance.

Keywords

• neoplasias cerebrales/diagnóstico
• astrocitoma
• glioblastoma