Giant atypical intraventricular meningioma presenting with visual loss in a child

Lateral ventricle meningiomas in children: clinicopathological and neuroradiological features

PURPOSE

Lateral ventricle meningiomas (LVM) in children are very rare. The current research is mostly limited to adults, and there are very few related studies on children. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinicopathological and imaging features of lateral ventricle meningiomas in children.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of five children with pathologically confirmed lateral ventricle meningioma was performed, and we collected clinical data, including clinicopathological data, treatment prognosis data, and imaging features (including tumor location, signal intensity, enhancement degree, intratumoral cyst, calcification, peritumoral edema, and associated hydrocephalus).

RESULTS

Among the 5 patients with LVM, 4 were male and 1 was female with an average age of 7.6 years (range 2 to 12 years). All CT scans showed slight hyperintensity or isodensity, and only 1 patient had calcification. Two patients demonstrated cyst changes. Four patients had varying degrees of peritumoral edema. The average tumor volume was 164.1 cm³ (1.4-314.9 cm³). All 5 patients with LVM were iso- or hypointense on T1WI. The T2WI signals had no obvious features. Four patients had a high signal on DWI (80%). The contrast-enhanced signals were mostly homogeneously strong (80%). MRI showed hydrocephalus in 3 patients. All patients underwent gross total resection, and they were followed up regularly after the operation. The average follow-up time was 47.4 months. No recurrence was found in any of the children. All patients were pathologically confirmed to have meningiomas, and WHO grades were all grade I.

CONCLUSION

Lateral ventricle meningiomas in children are very rare, and the imaging manifestations of the tumor have certain characteristics, but the clinical diagnosis is still difficult, and the diagnosis still requires pathological analysis.

Paediatric meningiomas in Singapore - Case series of a rare entity

Paediatric meningiomas are extremely rare. These tumours constitute only 2 to 3% of all childhood brain tumours. Despite similarities in histological features between PMs and their adult counterparts, there are important distinctions between them. In this case series, the authors describe their experience in paediatric meningiomas in Singapore's 2 children's hospitals from 1998 to 2018. The primary aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics, and associated outcomes of paediatric patients diagnosed with meningioma managed in our local institutions. Following that, the study's findings are secondary aims are corroborated with published literature. A total of 10 patients (4 males and 6 females) were identified for this study within the period of 01 January 1998 to 31 December 2018. Their ages ranged from 1 year old to 18 years old (median age 10.5 years old). Two of the patients had NF1 and NF2 respectively. There were 9 intracranial and 1 intraspinal paediatric meningiomas. Seven patients achieved gross total resection and 3 patients had subtotal resection. Eight patients did not have tumour recurrence or increase in size of tumour remnant during the course of their follow-up. In congruency with the literature, up to 40% of our patients had higher grade meningiomas and 55.6% had large tumour volumes more than 30 cm³. Owing to the paucity of knowledge for this unusual tumour, the authors emphasize the need for closer surveillance and in-depth genomic studies to identify novel therapies for this challenging condition.

Natural history of intraventricular meningiomas: systematic review

Review the data published on the subject to create a more comprehensive natural history of intraventricular meningiomas (IVMs). A Medline search up to March 2018 using "intraventricular meningioma" returned 98 papers. As a first selection step, we adopted the following inclusion criteria: series and case reports about IVMs, as well as papers written in other languages, but abstracts written in English were evaluated. Six hundred eighty-one tumors were evaluated from 98 papers. The majority of the tumors were located in the lateral ventricles (602-88.4%), fourth ventricle (59-8.7%), and third ventricle (20-2.9%). These tumors accounted for a mortality rate of 4.0% (25 deaths) and a recurrence rate of 5.3% (26 recurrences). The majority of the tumors were grade I (89.8%) and consisted of the following subtypes: fibrous, 39.7% (n = 171); transitional, 22.0% (n = 95); meningothelial, 18.6% (n = 80); angiomatosus, 3.2% (n = 14); psammomatous, 2.6% (n = 11); and others, 13.9% (n = 60). Forty-five patients (7.4%) presented with grade II (GII) tumors, and 17 patients (2.8%) presented with grade III (GIII) tumors. These tumors follow the histopathological distribution of meningiomas in general, with the exception of the higher prevalence of the fibrous subtype, possibly due to its embryonic origin. Recurrence and mortality were lower than in other localizations likely due to a complete surgical resection rate than in the convexity and skull base, which suggests that GTR is the gold standard for the management of IVMs.

Superior Sagittal Sinus Obstruction by Giant Meningiomas: Is Total Removal Feasible?

OBJECTIVE

To present our experience with microsurgical technique for patients with giant meningiomas (maximum diameter ≥7 cm) that obstruct the superior sagittal sinus (SSS).

METHODS

All patients who were preoperatively diagnosed (between 2010 and 2014) with giant meningiomas involving the SSS in Ward 10 at the Neurosurgery Department of Beijing Tiantan Hospital were enrolled in this study. Patient charts, imaging findings, and outcomes were examined.

RESULTS

The study included 6 male and 4 female patients with a mean age of 46.8 ± 10.7 years. The tumor sizes varied from 7 to 12 cm (mean, 8.8 ± 2.0 cm). All patients underwent customized craniotomies, and aggressive surgery for resection of the invaded SSS was performed. Simpson grade I removals were achieved in all cases. No cases of perioperative mortality occurred. Three patients required cranioplasty as a result of a decompressive craniectomy that was performed during the primary surgery. Histologic examinations showed 1 malignant and 9 benign meningiomas. During the follow-up period (mean, 29.0 ± 9.7 months), recurrence/progression occurred in 1 patient, and 1 patient was lost to follow-up. The recent Karnofsky Performance Score was 80 ± 32.3 and was improved in 5 patients and stabilized in 3 patients. In addition, 7 patients lived independently.

CONCLUSIONS

The rigorous preservation of cortical veins, draining veins, and eloquent areas should be implemented during the resection of large tumors that obstruct the SSS. Suitable individualized approaches associated with full exposure and low cerebral perfusion pressure levels after surgery are critical for favorable results, and the reconstruction of the SSS may not be necessary.

Surviving the Largest Atypical Parasagittal Meningioma in a 2-Year-Old Child: A Case Report and a Brief Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Meningiomas arising in pediatric populations are rare neoplasms with distinct biological and clinical features. A rare case of a 2-year-old boy with extremely large intracranial parasagittal meningioma is presented. To our knowledge, this case is the largest parasagittal meningioma to be reported to date in the pediatric age group.

CASE DESCRIPTION

The tumor size at its largest diameter was 14.2 cm. Two-stage craniotomy was performed within 3 weeks to resect the tumor totally by Simpson grade II while preserving the superior sagittal sinus. Three months after the second resection, the patient had a complication of subdural hematoma, which was managed by external drainage and urokinase.

CONCLUSIONS

The patient's postoperative recovery was unremarkable, and the previously compressed brain rebounded. There was no evidence of recurrence after two years of follow-up. Every effort should be exerted to achieve radical resection of the tumor, which can result in a satisfactory prognosis and a low recurrence rate.

Long-term survival analysis of atypical meningiomas: survival rates, prognostic factors, operative and radiotherapy treatment

BACKGROUND

The rarity and the inconsistent criteria for defining atypical meningioma prior to the WHO 2007 classification made its management and prognostic factors poorly understood. Only few articles have addressed the survival rates of WHO-classified atypical meningiomas. The small number or the disproportionate representation of irradiated patients was a weakness for these articles. This study evaluated whether the extent of surgery and receiving adjuvant radiotherapy after an initial operation along with other patient characteristics influenced the recurrence and survival rates of atypical meningiomas.

METHODS

The clinical and surgical notes of the 79 patients with grade II atypical meningioma treated at our center over 13 years were retrospectively evaluated. The histology grading was consistent with WHO 2007 classification. The Simpson grading system was used to assess the extent of surgical resection. Kaplan Meier analysis, Cox multivariate regression analysis, and the Log-rank test were conducted using STATA® statistical package.

RESULTS

The average age at the time of initial operation was 58 years, and 54 % were males. The mean follow-up period was 50 months. In Cox multivariate analysis, only Simpson grading was predictive of recurrence (hazard ratio = 2.22 / 1 increase in Simpson grade. p = 0.003). Simpson grade I patients had a relapse-free survival rate of 97 and 74 % at one and five years, respectively, compared with 88 and 32 % in the subtotal resection group (Simpson grades II to IV). There was no statistically significant correlation between recurrence and subjecting patients to postoperative radiotherapy. Apart from Simpson grade I patients, there was a general trend for worse outcome in irradiated patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The most important prognostic factor in determining recurrence was Simpson grading. There was no statistically significant impact of adjuvant radiotherapy on the recurrence of atypical meningiomas. Meta-analysis for the existing literature is needed.

[Meningiomas of the lateral ventricle. A series of 40 cases with analysis of the literature]

This series reports 40 cases of meningiomas of the lateral ventricle treated in France between 1995 and 2010. The mean age was 52 years. The revelation was incidental in 23% of cases. 36 patients underwent surgery with uneventful postoperative course in 75% of them. Visual field deficits were the most frequent sequelae. In six cases, recurrences occurred during the follow-up period. The relevant series of the literature were discussed in order to precise the therapeutic strategies and the outcome.

Intraventricular atypical meningiomas

A rare case of intraventricular meningioma that arose in the atrium of the left lateral ventricle was identified in a 51-year-old woman. Gross total removal was performed by transcortical approach. Histopathological findings showed meningothelial meningioma with a focal atypical area which had 8% of Ki-67 labeling index (LI). A large recurrence extending into the ipsilateral quadrigeminal cistern and opposite medial occipital lobe developed approximately 41 months after the first operation. The specimens obtained from the second resection showed atypical meningioma with 20% of Ki-67 LI but there were no anaplastic area. The patient underwent fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. However, multiple local distant metastases were found in the occipital and cerebellar cortex suggesting cerebrospinal fluid dissemination apparently 24 months after the second operation. This report presents chronological progression of a rare intraventricular atypical meningioma with more aggressive transformation.