[Clinico-pathological study of meningiomas in childhood--with special reference to malignant meningiomas]

Six cases of meningiomas which accounted for 3.6% out of 167 intracranial tumors in children were studied with clinico-pathological method. Four meningiomas located in the convexity, two meningiomas developed within the lateral ventricle. CT scan with contrast material showed homogeneous enhanced tumors in four cases. Heterogeneous enhanced tumors were observed in two malignant meningiomas. There was evidence of recurrence in three cases. Two of in these cases were malignant meningiomas. Three patients received postoperative radiotherapy. One case of malignant meningiomas died seven years after the first operation. Five cases are still alive. Macroscopically three cases had cyst formation. Four convexity meningiomas were attached to the dura matter. Three malignant meningiomas were ill-defined and invaded the normal brain tissue. One case of malignant meningiomas invaded the skull. Six meningiomas were classified histologically into two fibrous, one transitional and three malignant meningiomas according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of brain tumors. All cases were examined for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) using the immunohistochemical method. Two cases of malignant meningiomas demonstrated the positive reaction to GFAP. Four cases were negative. These findings suggest that malignant meningiomas grow invasively into the surrounding normal brain tissue.