Quality of life in Slovenian patients with skull base tumours : cross-cultural adaptation and validation of a Slovenian skull base inventory

Vozel, Domen (author), Urbančič, Jure (author), Battelino, Saba (author), Božanić Urbančič, Nina (author), Steiner, Nejc (author), Felbabić, Tomislav (author), Bošnjak, Roman (author)

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 consisted 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 difference 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 control group (49% male, 51% female, median age 42,2 years) completed SBI-SLO, which demonstrated an excellent level of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.924) and excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICCA] = 0.952). The discriminant validity was 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 differed 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.

• Language: English
• Keywords: quality of life, skull base, neoplasms, meningioma, carcinoma
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 106-113
• Numbering: Vol. 60, iss. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185449
• UDC: 616-006
• ISSN on article: 1581-3207
• DOI: 10.2478/raon-2026-0007
• COBISS.SI-ID: 266450435
• Publication date in RUL: 05.08.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Radiology and oncology
• Publisher: Association of Radiology and Oncology
• ISSN: 1581-3207
• COBISS.SI-ID: 784507

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: kakovost življenja, lobanja, novotvorbe, meningiom, karcinom