QUALITY OF LIFE IN SLOVENIAN PATIENTS WITH SKULL BASE TUMOURS: CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION AND VALIDATION OF A SLOVENIAN SKULL BASE INVENTORY

Abstract

Background. Skull base tumours frequently manifest as severe physical morbidity and quality of life (QoL) impairment. The disease-related QoL measurement can be performed with disease-specific questionnaires, e.g. Skull base inventory (SBI).

Patients and methods...The study consists of two parts: 1.) cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of the Slovenian SBI (SBI-SLO) and 2.) QoL assessment in skull base tumours. Two groups completed the SBI-SLO: 1.) adult patients without prior treatment of anterior, anterolateral and/or central skull base and 2.) healthy controls. Patients with skull-base tumours were further analysed for differences in SBI-SLO total score and domain scores between 1.) benign and malignant tumours and 2.) pituitary macroadenomas and other benign tumours.

Results. 59 patients (46% male, 54% female, median age 57,7 years) and 47 subjects from the control group (49% male, 51% female, median age 42,2 years) completed SBI-SLO, which demonstrates an excellent level of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.924) and excellent test-retest reliability (ICCA = 0.952). The discriminant validity is confirmed (p = 0.000). SBI-SLO total score, emotional, other and family domain scores were lower in malignant than in benign tumours (p = 0.031, p = 0.038, p = 0.008, and p = 0.046, respectively). Macroadenoma and other benign tumours differ only in neurological domain score (p < 0.05).

Conclusions. A skull base tumour, especially malignant, can exert a substantial detrimental effect on a patient's quality of life. The SBI is a key tool for assessing QoL, also available in Slovenian