INTRACRANIAL GLIOMAS IN FERRARA, ITALY, 1976 TO 1991

Introduction - We planned a descriptive study on the incidence of intr acranial gliomas spanning a 16-year period (1976-1991) in the Local He alth Service 31 of Ferrara, Northern Italy. Material and methods - We used a complete enumeration approach by reviewing all the possible sou rces of case collection available in the study area. Results - The mea n annual incidence rate was 5.8 new cases per 100 000 population (6.96 for men and 4.78 for women; p < 0.05), resulting in 4.7 per 100 000 w hen directly adjusted to the Italian population. The age-specific inci dences showed a small peak in childhood, an increase with age, reachin g a maximum in the age group 60 to 64 and then a decline in the elderl y. This pattern is similar for both sexes. The adjusted rates increase d from 3.94 per 100 000 population in the first five-year period to 5. 6 per 100 000 in the third (a nonsignificant difference). The distribu tion of cases within the study area was substantially uniform. Conclus ion - The incidence rates of Ferrara fell into the middle-high values so far reported and confirmed the male preponderance found in previous studies. The age-related pattern is similar to that observed, with fe w exceptions, in other surveys. Like other authors we did not find a s ignificant temporal trend, although the incidence rates tended to incr ease with time. The data encourage further, wider epidemiological stud ies of a prospective nature.