Petroclival meningiomas

Petroclival meningiomas are most commonly found in women around 50 years of age and have the general tendency to grow and affect several cranial nerves. At presentation, many patients complain of headaches, gait disturbances and cranial neuropathies. Treatment options include surgery, with a variety of surgical approaches, and or radiotherapy. Current trends support subtotal resection with postoperative radiotherapy. This review summarizes the literature of petroclival meningiomas, discussing topics including definitions, genetics, common presenting signs and symptoms, imaging characteristics, natural history, common surgical approaches, surgical outcomes, complications, and radiotherapy.