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This retrospective series highlights the poor prognosis associated with the diagnosis of malignant meningioma. Complete or subtotal resection may prolong the patients' survival. We could not confirm the usefulness of postoperative radiotherapy.

The individual incidences of head (15%) and face (19%) injuries in relation to total battle injuries, although greater than seen in previous United Kingdom conflicts, were only slightly higher than that seen by US forces. The incidence of neck injury alone in relation to total battle injuries of 11% in United Kingdom forces in comparison with 3% to 5% found in US forces warrants further investigation. This article also provides further evidence to support the existing published opinion of multiple international authors in the requirement to develop innovative methods of protecting the vulnerable HFN regions.

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To analyse the outcome of patients with WHO grade II meningioma and identify factors that may influence recurrence and survival. Between January 2007 and September 2015, a retrospective search identified 194 WHO grade II meningiomas at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London. Survival methods were implemented. 31 patients (16 %) had a previous history of grade I meningioma. The patients underwent a total of 344 surgical resections and 43.3 % received radiotherapy. 55 patients (28.4 %) had been re-operated on for a WHO grade II meningioma relapse. Median follow-up was 4.4 years. At the end of the study, 75 patients (40.1 %) had no residual tumour on the last scan. Surgical recurrence free survival at 5 years was 71.6, 95 % CI [63.5, 80.8]. Secondary grade II meningioma (HR = 2.29, p = 0.010), and, Simpson resection grade 1, 2 and 3 vs. 4 and 5 (HR = 0.57, p = 0.050) were associated with the surgical recurrence-free survival. 32 died from meningioma (16.5 %). Overall survival probability at 5 years was 83.2, 95 % CI [76.6, 90.4]. Age at diagnosis (HR = 0.22, p < 0.001), WHO grade I meningioma progressing into grade II (HR = 3.2, p = 0.001), tumour location (HR = 0.19, p < 0.001), and mitosis count (HR = 0.36, p = 0.010) were independently associated with the overall survival. Patients who received radiotherapy demonstrated neither a reduced risk of recurrence nor a longer overall survival (p = 0.310). In our series shorter survival correlated with older age, increased mitoses, progression from grade I to II and location. We were not able to demonstrate a significant improvement in any of the clinical outcomes after radiotherapy.