It is about a 33-year-old female, with a 36 weeks uncomplicated pregnancy and with signs of increased intracranial pressure. Hours after admission and an obstetric evaluation, uterine contraction started and the patient was taken to the delivery room, where she presented a partial motor seizure on the left side with secondary generalization and urine emission. A caesarean section was performed without fetal or maternal complications. The urgent MRI gadolinium-enhanced brain scan revealed a 39/50/54 mm tumoral mass having an aspect of an anterior third falx cerebri meningioma. The patient was transferred to our neurosurgical department and afterwards surgery was performed with gross total removal of the tumoral mass. Histological examination revealed atypical meningioma with direct invasion into the adjacent brain parenchyma. A week later she was discharged from the hospital in good condition. One month after surgery, a contrastenhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the brain did not reveal any signs of tumor recurrence or residual tumor. Our recommendation is for postpartum surgery when is possible. Urgent neurosurgical interventions should be made in case of patients with malignant tumors, active hydrocephalus or benign intracranial tumor such as meningioma associated with signs of impending herniation, progressive neurological deficits.

Meningiomas represent almost 15 percent of primary brain tumors and are the most common non-glial primary brain tumor. Parasellar meningiomas represent 5–10 percent of all intracranial meningiomas. They may arise from the diaphragma sella, tuberculum sellae, planum sphenoidale, medial lesser wing of sphenoid, anterior clinoid, clivus, and cavernous sinus (Smith 2005). Planum sphenoidale meningiomas are located anterior to and in proximity to the olfactory groove. For an optimal postoperative outcome planum, sphenoidale meningiomas must be diagnosed early, and the operative procedures performed promptly and with utmost care. Ideally, management is intended to preserve and improve vision and consists of total resection with no injury to the neighboring vital structures. We report the case of a 64-year-old woman who presented with progressive visual disturbance, impairment of visual acuity, visual field defects and diffuse headache. Gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MR images showed a well-defined, suprasellar solid mass, measuring 30/35/40 mm. The lesion was hyperintense on T1-weighted imaging with homogenous enhancement and a broad dural attachment to the planum sphenoidale. The planum sphenoidale meningioma was successfully resected using a left pterional approach. The intraoperative and postoperative courses were uneventful with a total recovery. Improvement of visual acuity was noted and the postoperative computer-tomography investigation showed total surgical removal with no residual tumor.

Olfactory groove meningiomas are benign tumors, which arise in the midline of the anterior cranial fossa, over the cribriform plate and frontosphenoid suture. They represent approximately 10 percent of all intracranial meningiomas, more likely to occur in women in the fifth and sixth decades of life. They often involve the area from the grista galli to the posterior planum sphenoidale, and can be either simetric, bilateral or unilateral based on their midline origin. We report the case of a 45-year-old man who presented with an episode of loss of consciousness, progressive mental disturbances, impairment of visual acuity, anosmia and headache. Gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MR images showed a well-defined, hyperintense mass, located in the anterior cranial fossa, measuring 45/50/61 mm, with homogenous enhancement and a broad dural attachment to the cribriform plate, from crista galli to the planum sphenoidale. Preoperative Angiography revealed tumor vascularization from anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries, branches of ophthalmic artery and branches of external carotid artery. The olfactory groove meningioma was successfully resected using a bifrontal approach with frontal sinuses opened in order to avoid brain retraction. Cranialization with pericranium of frontal sinuses was performed at the end of surgical procedure. Improvement of visual acuity was noted, mental disturbances and seizures remitted, but cerebrospinal leakage occurred, resolved via recranialization of frontal sinuses and lumbar punctions. The last postoperative computer-tomography investigation showed total surgical removal with no recurrence or residual tumor. Total tumor removal must be performed with coagulation of its arachnoid attachments and resection of hyperostotic bone in order to avoid recurrence, but with least brain retraction.

Cerebral vascular malformations are hamartomas, classified into four distinct groups:arteriovenous malformations, cavernous malformations, capillary telangiectasias, anddevelopmental venous anomalies. These abnormal vascular entities have distinct histopathological, radiological, and clinical features, which make them different from one another. We report a case of a 37-year-old man, who presented with headaches, generalized grand mal seizures, and an episode of loss of consciousness, due to a left temporal cavernoma. Gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MR images showed a left temporal “popcorn-like” lesion, with heterogeneousenhancement, measuring 15/17/18 mm, suggestive of a cavernoma (angiographically occultmalformation). The T2-weighted MRI showed a right cerebellar venous plexus, draining into alarger central vein and the angiogram revealed the pathognomonic caput medusae aspect of avenous angioma. Microsurgical resection of the left temporal cavernous malformation wasperformed using a left frontal temporal approach. The venous angioma was spared to avoid venousinfarction and cerebral edema with devastating vital consequences. The intra- and postoperativecourses were uneventful with total recovery. The seizures remitted under anticonvulsant therapy,and the postoperative computer tomography investigation were within normal limits. The venous angioma was situated in the right cerebellar hemisphere, rather than near the cavernoma, its location making this the particular aspect of this case.