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Growth pattern changes of meningiomas: long-term analysis.
Satoshi Nakasu1, Tadateru Fukami, Masayuki Nakajima
1Department of Neurosurgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Ohtsu, Shiga, Japan. snakasu@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
Neurosurgery
|April 28, 2005
Summary
Meningiomas exhibit diverse growth patterns, including exponential and linear. Calcification influences growth, potentially shifting it from exponential to linear or even halting it in benign meningiomas.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Radiology
- Tumor biology
Background:
- Meningiomas are common primary tumors of the central nervous system.
- Tumor growth is often assumed to be exponential, but long-term data for meningiomas is limited.
- Understanding meningioma growth patterns is crucial for clinical management and prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term growth patterns of meningiomas.
- To determine if meningiomas exhibit constant growth rates.
- To identify factors influencing meningioma growth dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Radiological follow-up of 31 meningiomas in 20 patients over 4.1 to 18.3 years.
- Measurement of tumor volumes and plotting of time-volume curves.
- Analysis of growth patterns in relation to tumor characteristics like calcification.
Main Results:
- Atypical meningiomas showed exponential growth (R > 0.95).
- Benign meningiomas displayed exponential, linear, or no growth.
- Calcification was associated with linear growth or cessation of growth, and growth patterns could shift with increasing calcification.
Conclusions:
- Meningiomas demonstrate at least three distinct growth patterns: exponential, linear, and no growth.
- Atypical meningiomas consistently grow exponentially.
- Calcification is a significant factor influencing the growth trajectory of benign meningiomas.
