Meningioma metastatic to the lung

A Adlakha1, K Rao, H Adlakha

  • 1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn 55905, USA.

Mayo Clinic Proceedings
|November 24, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Metastatic meningioma is rare, occurring in less than 0.15% of intracranial cases. Risk factors include prior surgery and tumor characteristics, necessitating consideration in differential diagnoses.

Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Oncology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Meningiomas are primary tumors of the central nervous system, accounting for 15-18% of all intracranial and intraspinal neoplasms.
  • Extracranial metastases from meningiomas are exceptionally rare, with reported incidences below 0.1%.

Observation:

  • A retrospective review identified 3 cases (0.15%) of extracranial meningioma metastasis among 1992 primary intracranial meningiomas at Mayo Clinic (1972-1994).
  • Identified risk factors for systemic spread included prior craniotomy, venous sinus invasion, local recurrence, histological malignancy, and papillary morphology.

Findings:

  • The study confirms the rarity of extracranial meningioma metastasis.
  • Specific pathological and clinical factors are associated with an increased risk of distant spread.

Implications:

  • Metastatic meningioma should be included in the differential diagnosis for patients with intracranial meningioma presenting with abnormal chest radiography findings.
  • Understanding risk factors may aid in early detection and management of rare metastatic cases.