Metaplastic conus meningioma and its applied aspects

Cranial meningiomas may present with or without major deficits depending on their location and morphology. Spinal meningiomas account for 25% of all the spinal tumors. Most commonly encountered in the dorsal spine in middle-aged females, these intradural-extramedullary tumors can usually be excised without difficulty. Rarely, they can be encountered in the lumbar spine and may create many tactical problems for the surgical team especially if it is calcified and contains metaplastic bone. We report a 55-year-old patient who presented with backache and investigations revealed a calcified lesion at L1 level that was thought of as an ependymoma initially. Intraoperatively, the lesion was calcified in parts, and the histopathology revealed it to be a metaplastic meningioma with calcification. The patient had a transient hip weakness, which recovered completely later on. Calcification in meningiomas is common. However, frank bony metaplasia is extremely rare. More importantly, the applied aspect of their presence in the region of conus lies in the careful dissection to prevent damage to the surrounding neural structures. Awareness regarding the same may help us preventing complications in the future.