Duration of Symptoms in Brain Tumors: Influencing Factors and Its Value in Predicting Malignant Tumors
Krishnapundha Bunyaratavej MD*, Rungsak Siwanuwatn MD*, Kraisri Chantra MD*, Surachai Khaoroptham MD*
Affiliation : * Division of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
Background : Although brain tumor is a common neurosurgical condition, diagnosis is generally made after long duration
of symptoms. This may have negative impact on treatment outcome.
Objective : Study the duration of symptoms of brain tumor, how it is influenced by various factors, and find their value in
predicting malignant tumors.
Material and Method: The authors retrospectively reviewed 185 patients with pathologically proven brain tumors. Pertinent
data including age, types of tumors, locations of tumors, symptoms, and duration of symptoms were analyzed by univariate
and multivariate analysis.
Results : There were 70 males and 115 females. The mean age at diagnosis was 47.3 years. The average duration of symptoms
was 471 days with median of 120 days. On univariate analysis, hormone symptoms (p = 0.001), age more than 45 years old
(p = 0.005), malignant tumor (p < 0.001), auditory symptoms (p = 0.004), and motor symptoms (p < 0.001) had significant
influence on duration of symptom. In multivariate analyses, malignant types of tumor, age, and hormonal symptoms were
significant. In addition, there was higher risk of malignant brain tumor in patients with duration of symptoms 1 month or less
(p < 0.001).
Conclusion : Certain factors were associated with longer duration of symptoms in brain tumors. This information may lead
to early diagnosis of brain tumors. Furthermore, duration of symptoms of 1 month or less was suggestive of malignant brain
tumors.
Keywords : Duration of symptoms, Brain tumors, Symptomatology, Predictive value
