Defying Deprivation: Neurosurgical Outcomes and 75% 6-Month Survival in 96 Primary Brain Tumor Cases Amid Yemen's Humanitarian Crisis
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Yemen's protracted humanitarian crisis has devastated healthcare infrastructure, creating profound challenges for the management of primary brain tumors under severe resource constraints. This study characterizes patient profiles, surgical approaches, and 6-month outcomes at a tertiary neurosurgical center in Sana'a (2023-2024). METHODS: tests, Kaplan-Meier survival estimates, and Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: The median patient age was 35 years (range: 0.5-80), and 60.4% were male. Supratentorial tumors (78%) were most common, with meningioma (19.8%) and glioblastoma (14.6%) representing the predominant histologies. Gross total resection was achieved in 61.5% of cases. The overall complication rate was 28%, including cerebrospinal fluid leak (7%) and surgical site infection (5%). Adjuvant therapy was received by 38.5% of patients. The overall 6-month survival rate was 75%. Survival was significantly superior in gross total resection compared to subtotal resection or biopsy (83.0% vs. 65.6%, P = 0.01) and in those with World Health Organization grade I-II tumors compared to grade III-IV tumors (94.4% vs. 51.5%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite operating amid chronic power outages and critical supply shortages, the implementation of strategic adaptive protocols enabled the achievement of neurosurgical outcomes comparable to those reported in other low-resource settings. Prioritizing reliable imaging, minimizing complications, and improving access to adjuvant therapies are crucial for further improving prognosis for brain tumor patients in Yemen.
Source: World Neurosurgery
Author: Marwan Y. Al-Asdi
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,943
Funder: Hospital Authority
OpenAlex ID: W4414919586