TRENDS OF HOSPITAL-BASED REPORTING OF INTRACRANIAL NEOPLASMS IN NIGERIA FROM 1960 - 2024: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND POOLED ANALYSIS OF LITERATURES

Abstract AIMS This systematic review examined trends in hospital-based intracranial tumor reports, highlighting regional variations in incidence, tumor types, and providing valuable data for future research. METHODS Following PRISMA guidelines, this review analyzed studies on intracranial neoplasms in Nigeria from 1960 onward. Searches included PubMed, Google Scholar, and African Journals Online. Meta-analysis pooled data to determine aggregated incidence rates and demographic distributions of intracranial tumors. RESULTS Forty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing 3,517 cases of intracranial neoplasms. The pooled analysis revealed a significant increase in the reported incidence of intracranial neoplasms over the study pe- riod. The pooled extrapolated prevalence between 1960 and the present is 3.22 (95% CI: 1.66–5.22), whereas the pooled reported compounded 10-yearly incidence was 3.66 (95% CI: 1.67–6.32); the incidence rose from 2.18% in 1960–1969 to 4.08% in 2000–2009 and eventually to 4.84% in 2010–2019. Overall, the most common types of intracranial neoplasms identified were gliomas, meningiomas, and pituitary adenomas 8n descending order of occurrence. Meningioma was the leading type found in adults, followed by glioma and pituitary adenoma. In the pediatric age group, glioma was the leading cause, followed by medulloblastoma and craniopharyngioma. The demographic analysis indicated a greater prevalence in males than in females, with a male-to-female ra- tio of 1.17:1, with the majority of cases occurring in the fourth to sixth decades of life. Geographic distribu- tion revealed higher incidence rates in southern Nigeria, especially southeast and southwest Nigeria, than in northern Nigeria, potentially reflecting disparities in diagnostic facilities, healthcare access, and the level of reporting/publications. CONCLUSION The review shows rising intracranial neoplasm cases in Nigeria (3.22% over all reported hospital-based preva- lence), highlighting diagnostic gaps, public health needs, and calls for prospective studies and a national registry for better management.