Skull base meningioma: delayed extracranial presentation

Meningiomas are common intracranial tumors that rarely extend to extracranial sites. When they occur extracranially near the skull base, their diagnosis and management represent tremendous challenges. Although the extracranial component tends to manifest at the same time as the intracranial component, this is not always the case. In the patient reported in this article, 13 years separated the diagnosis of the intracranial tumor from the appearance of an extracranial component. The clinical presentation, radiologic findings, and management of this large skull base meningioma are discussed with reference to the literature. A high index of suspicion and clinical acumen are needed to ensure that the extracranial component of these frequent tumors is discovered, especially when it presents later than the intracranial component.