Standalone Meningioma Embolization: A Systematic Review

Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumors, with over 450 000 new cases each year. Although surgical resection remains the standard of care, recurrence occurs in up to 40% of cases. Reoperation poses additional risks due to anatomic changes and scar tissue. Elderly and frail patients experience increased rates of surgical morbidity, limiting treatment options. This study evaluates the potential of embolization, a technique traditionally used preoperatively to reduce intraoperative blood loss, as a definitive or palliative standalone treatment in select cases.

A systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for System reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for studies reporting standalone meningioma embolization, defined as embolization without resection or radiotherapy for at least 2 months postprocedure. Two blinded reviewers screened articles using Covidence and conducted standardized data extraction. Variables collected included patient demographics, tumor characteristics, embolic agents, outcomes, and complications.

This review identified 121 patients across 34 studies treated with standalone embolization. Of these, 67 patients had long-term follow-up. Symptomatic improvement was reported in 77 ± 6% of symptomatic patients, with radiographic tumor shrinkage observed in 84 ± 6%, and complete resolution seen in 5%. The major complication rate (5%) was comparable with that of preoperative embolization (3%-6%) and lower than that of surgical resection (7%-31%).

Standalone embolization potentially represents a lower-risk alternative for meningioma patients unsuitable for surgery or refractory to standard treatments. Although current evidence is limited and largely retrospective, reported outcomes support further prospective investigation. Mechanistically, ischemia-induced necrosis may be the underlying cause of tumor and symptom regression. Larger studies are needed to establish standalone embolization as a safe and effective meningioma treatment.