Epidemiology and Clinical Patterns of Intracranial Meningioma in Sulaimani City, Kurdistan Region: A Retrospective Study

Volume 16 , Issue 1 , July 2026

Authors

Dr Ari Sami Hussain Nadhim 1

1 University of Sulaimani,Sulaimani,Iraq

DOI logo 10.17656/jsmc.10517

Keywords

Abstract

Meningiomas are one of the most frequently found primary intracranial tumors but regional data on their epidemiology and clinical patterns are lacking in many regions. In this study, we aimed to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of intracranial meningiomas in Sulaimani City, Kurdistan Region, in regard to prevalence, demographic description, clinical picture, histopathological characteristics, management strategy, and outcomes.

This was a retrospective study in which medical records of patients with a diagnosis of intracranial meningiomas at Sulaimani Teaching Hospitals from January 2021 to December 2024 were reviewed. A purposive sampling with a consensus-based approach was used to include 154 patients. Data were collated using a standardized extraction form covering demographics, clinical characteristics, imaging features, histopathology reports, surgical outcomes, and follow-up data. 

The mean age of patients was 51.2 years (SD 13.5), and 73.4% were female. Headaches (68.2%) and seizures (22.1%) were the most common symptoms. Tumors were mostly located at the convexity area (42.9%) and 85.1% were WHO Grade I; with gross total resection in 74.7% of cases and a recurrence rate of 12.3% during follow-up. Tumor size (p = 0.012) and extent of resection (p = 0.008)] were strong predictors of recurrence. In non-operated patients, 89.2% had stable outcomes, while 2.8% had deteriorated.

The presented approach serves as a pilot study exploring the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of meningiomas over a decade in Sulaimani City and provides some evidence of the principal trends in preferences related to locality and other demographic and clinical features.

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