Clinical-histopathologic concordance of tumors of the nervous system at the Manuel Velasco Suárez National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Mexico City.
BACKGROUND
When making a diagnosis, the main purpose of clinicians should not be to achieve certainty, but to decrease diagnostic uncertainty in order to make optimal therapeutic decisions. Diagnostic concordance is an essential characteristic if a measurement is to be considered scientific. In the case of tumors of the nervous system (TNS), one of the most accurate diagnostic tests is magnetic resonance imaging. However, histopathologic analyses are essential, because they refine the diagnosis, benefit the patient, and improve our understanding of the disease. By determining the clinical-histopathologic correlation of TNS in one of the main neurologic centers in Mexico, we sought to project reliable morbidity and/or mortality statistics.


OBJECTIVE
To assess clinical and histopathologic diagnostic agreement in cases involving TNS admitted to the Manuel Velasco Suárez National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery between 1990 and 1999.


METHODS
Cross-sectional diagnostic concordance study, including all clinical hospital records of patients with histopathologically diagnosed TNS, classified according to World Health Organization criteria.


RESULTS
Among 2041 TNS cases, the 3 most frequent types were those affecting the neuroepithelial tissue (32.9%), tumors of the sellar region (29.2%), and tumors of the meninges (25.6%). We found that, overall, clinical-histopathologic concordance for these 3 categories was substantial and statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Tumors of the nervous system constitute a heterogeneous group of neoplasms. In the present study, clinical diagnoses substantially agreed with pathologic diagnoses. The a priori clinical diagnosis allowed prompt treatment even before diagnostic confirmation by histopathologic analysis, which is the best way to confirm, clarify, and correct a diagnosis.
Velásquez-Pérez
Leora
L
Department of Neuroepidemiology, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City, Mexico. leoravelasquez@hotmail.com
Jiménez-Marcial
María Esther
ME
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009423:Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014944:World Health Organization