Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Intraoperative Ultrasound in Spinal Surgery
Published on: August 17, 2022
Intraspinal osteogenic meningioma: report of a case
Abstract:
Dense calcification and psammomatous bodies are common in spinal meningioma, but are rarely reported in osteogenic meningioma. We present a 73-year-old woman with an extramedullary, intradural tumor located at the T5 vertebra. The tumor showed mixed intensity and heterogeneous enhancement on the T1-weighted image and hypointensity on the T2-weighted image, and was situated near the spinal nerve root. The tumor's initial symptom was myelopathy, as is usual with spinal meningioma. We successfully removed the tumor under microscopy and found it to be separated from the vertebral column by the epidural space. The symptoms and signs improved gradually after the operation. Because the pathologic examination revealed areas of lamellar bone with bone marrow in the transitional meningioma, and because these were not related to the psammomatous bodies, osteogenic meningioma was diagnosed. Metaplasia of arachnoid cells is considered to be the putative etiology of osteogenic meningioma.
Insights
This study reports a rare case of osteogenic meningioma in a 73-year-old woman. The spinal tumor, diagnosed via pathological examination, showed bone formation and improved after surgical removal.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Pathology
- Oncology
Background:
- Spinal meningiomas are common tumors, typically characterized by calcifications.
- Osteogenic meningiomas are a rare subtype, with bone formation distinct from psammomatous bodies.
Observation:
- A 73-year-old woman presented with myelopathy due to an extramedullary, intradural T5 spinal tumor.
- The tumor exhibited characteristic MRI findings (mixed T1, hypointense T2) near a spinal nerve root.
Findings:
- Surgical removal of the tumor was successful, with subsequent gradual symptom improvement.
- Pathological examination revealed transitional meningioma with lamellar bone and bone marrow, confirming an osteogenic meningioma diagnosis.
- The observed bone formation was unrelated to psammomatous bodies, differentiating it from typical calcified meningiomas.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering osteogenic meningioma in the differential diagnosis of spinal tumors with unusual pathological features.
- The findings support metaplasia of arachnoid cells as a potential cause for osteogenic meningioma.
- Successful surgical intervention can lead to significant recovery in patients with spinal osteogenic meningioma.
