A Survey of Tumours of the Central Nervous System in Iceland During the 10-Year Period 1954-1963

A survey of tumours of the central nervous system in Iceland has been carried out. The period chosen was 1954–1963. At the beginning of this period the population of Iceland (1 Dec. 1953) was 152,500 and at the end of the period 187,314. The survey is composed partly of neuro-surgical material from the Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Copenhagen, partly of necropsy material from the Department of Pathology, University of Iceland, Reykjavík. During the period of the survey 234 patients with brain tumours were encountered, and of these 186 were primary and 48 metastatic. 27 spinal tumours were found and of these one was metastatic. Metastatic tumours to the vertebral column were not included. A relatively high incidence of bloodvessel tumours was encountered. The metastatic tumours are believed to be underreported. The male/female rate in all patients recorded with brain tumours was 1.04, 1.00 for primary and 1.18 for metastatic. The male/female rate for spinal tumours was 1.25. The frequency of seizures in all patients recorded was for primary brain tumours 19.4 per cent and 8.3 per cent for metastatic tumours. Of 18 patients with blood-vessel tumours localized in the cerebral hemispheres only 3 presented with convulsions. The average annual incidence rate per 100,000 population 1954–1963 was for all types of brain tumours 10.6. It was 7.8 for primary brain tumours, 2.8 for metastatic brain tumours, and 1.1 for spinal tumours. Age-specific incidence rates for primary brain tumours rose steadily from 3.4 at age 0–19 to 28.5 at age 80 +. The prevalence rate on 31 Dec. 1963 per 100,000 population was for all types of brain tumours 43.2 and 42.2 for primary tumours. The prevalence rate for spinal tumours was 10.1. The average annual death rate per 100,000 population for the period of the survey was for primary brain tumours 6.3, for metastatic tumours 2.7, and spinal tumours 0.5. The average annual death rate for all tumours of the central nervous system in Iceland during the years 1954–1963 was 9.4 or 1.4 per cent of all deaths.