The Role of Surgery in Meningiomas

This review presents the most recent evidences and recommendations in the pre-, intra-, and post-surgical management of patients harboring meningiomas. Due to the increasing relevance of multimodal approaches, in order to preserve patients' neurological function and quality of life (QoL), the role of observation and radiation treatments (as either primary or adjuvant therapy) has also been discussed.

Multiple advances in neurosurgery, including the use of the microscope and endoscope, improved preoperative neuroimaging, intraoperative image-guided approaches, and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring, have extended the neurosurgeon's ability to remove lesions that were previously considered only partially resectable or unresectable, while minimizing morbidity. On the other hand, the preservation of patients' neurological integrity and QoL are increasingly important issues, more than complete tumor resection, for both patients and neurosurgeons. In this setting, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and radiotherapy (RT) may be considered safe and effective alternatives for asymptomatic small- to moderate-sized tumors that demonstrate growth on serial imaging, or in combination with planned subtotal resection (STR) for tumors in critical locations. Data supporting the use of pharmacotherapy in meningiomas are, to date, weak, but the strength of the evidence might improve in the next future with the identification of targetable mutations. Complete microsurgical resection remains the standard of care if it can be achieved with minimal or no morbidity. However, many studies have reported SRS/RT as safe and effective treatments, either as primary approach or as complementary to surgery, especially when dealing with critically located meningiomas (e.g., cranial base) or in patients with comorbidity or wishing to avoid invasive treatments. The management of meningiomas is a field of complementary disciplines: neurosurgeon needs to work closely with radiation oncologists while tailoring the optimal treatment for these patients in order to achieve the best results.