Summary
Objective : prospectively assess mortality, morbidity and functional and symptomatic result after intracranial surgery for meningiomas in elderly patients in two neurosurgical institutions in Norway.
Methods : Patients ≥60 years who have undergone craniectomies for intracranial meningiomas at the Oslo University Hospital and the Haukeland University Hospital in 2008 and 2009 were included (n = 54). The result was evaluated at 6 months.
Results : Thirty-five women and 19 median men 70 (60-84) were evaluated before and after the operation, 87% participated in the follow-up at 6 months. The surgical mortality rate was 5.6% to 30 days and 7.4% to 3 and 6 months. The complications rates were as follows: postoperative hematomas 5.6 %, deep venous thrombosis 1.9 %, osteitis 1.9 %, disorders of cerebrospinal fluid 13.0 %and neurological sequelae 13.0 %. Surgery has led to a significant improvement in the MMSE score , an additional 14.9% having obtained scores ≥25 without significant change in the level of independence according to the Karnofsky performance scale . Quality of life assessments have shown proper postoperative functioning compared to other groups of cancer patients, but slightly reduced compared to data from the general population.
Conclusion : In our series, we have found that meningioma surgery in the elderly has a higher risk of mortality and morbidity compared to surgery of intracranial tumors in general. However, our results indicate that survivors have an improved cognitive function and an acceptable quality of life, and we have not found a significant decrease in the proportion of independent patients according to the KPS.
In Konglund 1 , Sg Rogne , M Lund-Johansen , D Scheie , E Helseth , Tr Meling
Affiliation
1 Department of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
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