Meningioma with sarcomatous change and hepatic metastasis

A 72-year-old patient had a meningotheliomatous meningioma that invaded through the skull and into temporalis muscle. One year following craniotomy for removal of the neoplasm, he developed headaches, diplopia, and proptosis of the left eye. Biopsy of the orbital contents revealed a malignant supporting tissue neoplasm having a resemblance to the previous meningioma. No curative therapy was possible and the patient died 33 months after diagnosis. Autopsy examination showed extensive residual intracranial neoplasm and a 3-cm metastasis in the liver. The metastatic tumor appeared similar to the meningioma and did not appear malignant histologically. The case illustrates the distinct histologic variations in meningiomas and the difficulties in predicting their biologic activity. Aggressive local behavior may indicate possible malignant areas in the neoplasm. Therefore, examination of the neoplasm should be thorough. Such a correlation may suggest malignant biologic potential.