RESUMO
The purpose of this study was to provide preliminary data on morphological patterns of intracranial space occupying lesions [ICSOL] in central Punjab province. This is a cross-sectional prospective study on 100 consecutive cases of intra-cranial space occupying lesions admitted to both the neurosurgery units of Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. The biopsy materials were examined histologically using paraffin sections. Eighty nine [89] patients had neoplasms, while eleven [11] had non-neoplastic lesions. Neuroepithelial tumours comprised 41% of all the neoplasms, followed by meningiomas being 23%, schwannomas 11% and metastatic tumours 6%. Males were affected slightly more than females [1.17:1]. Tuberculomas constituted 3% of the lesions. It was concluded that age and sex distribution were generally comparable to the other published literature. Similarly neuroepithehal tumours formed majority of the lesions. However meningiomas had a higher frequency as compared to the western literature; moreover tuberculomas should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of such lesions in this part of the world