Peritumoral brain edema in meningiomas--influence of vascular supply on its development

In a series of 35 patients with intracranial meningiomas, factors influencing the development of peritumoral brain edema (PTBE) were analyzed. We used numbers of the Edema Index as the extent of PTBE, which was obtained from the size of the meningioma and associated PTBE on a T2-weighted image of magnetic resonance imaging. We evaluated a relationship between the Edema Index and some factors that may play a role in the development of PTBE. Tumors in the frontal region and at the sphenoid ridge tended to be associated with larger PTBE than those in other locations (P less than 0.05). Histologically, meningotheliomatous and transitional meningiomas tended to be associated with larger PTBE than fibroblastic meningiomas (P less than 0.05). The meningiomas that had a vascular supply from the intrinsic cerebral arteries on angiography significantly correlated with severe PTBE compared with those supplied only from the meningeal side (P less than 0.01). We concluded that location, histology, and vascular supply from intrinsic cerebral arteries were the factors influencing PTBE. It is stressed that the vascular supply from the intrinsic cerebral arteries may have an influence on the extensive PTBE of meningioma.