Background: Purpose of this study was to evaluate various parameters of meningioma after surgical treatment and analyze predictive factors for recurrence. Methods: During 1992-2007, 353 patients were operated for intracranial meningioma in our department. They were followed since, and related data were combined with parameters such as tumor histology (WHO system), tumor location and the extent of tumor resection (Simpson’s scale). The results were analyzed with respect to tumor reappearance. This study was approved by the ethics committee of G. Papanikolaou Hospital. Results: The mean follow up period was 6.45 years. The overall percentage of recurrence was 21.52%. Grade 1 meningiomas (benign) recurred at a rate of 19.1%, grade 2 tumors (atypical) showed 41.7% rate of recurrence and grade 3 meningiomas (malignant) recurred at a rate of 75%. Tumor histopathology was not significant to recurrence (p > 0.001). The location of meningiomas was not found to be significant to recurrence (p > 0.001). Complete tumor resection was accomplished in 269 patients (76.2%). Incomplete resection (Simpson grades 2-5) took place in 84 cases (23.8%). The recurrence rate after complete resection was 13.8%, while the rate for cases with incomplete resection was 46.7%. The extent of removal was significantly associated with recurrence (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tumor recurrence was observed at 21.5% of patients in our series of intracranial meningioma surgery. The rate of recurrence was related primarily to the extent of surgical removal. Neither tumor site, nor tumor histology were predictive factors for recurrence (ma-lignant meningiomas excluded)

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Aim. To evaluate the frequency of atypical and malignant meningiomas and analyze recurrence rate; to study the morbidity and mortality of these tumors compared to benign meningiomas. Methods. During 1992–2007, 16 patients with malignant and 16 patients with atypical meningioma were operated in Neurosurgery Department of Thessaloniki's Papanikolaou Hospital. We analyzed tumor histology, location, and extent of surgical resection with respect to tumor reappearance and patients' outcome and compared the behavior of benign versus nonbenign meningiomas. Results. Malignant meningiomas accounted for 4.4% (16 patients) and atypical meningiomas for another 4.4% of the series of patients (353) who were operated for intracranial meningioma at our department that period. Malignant meningiomas recurred at a rate of 75% and atypical meningiomas recurred at a rate of 41.6%. There was a significant association of the histological classification (benign, atypical, and malignant) with recurrence (P < 0.01). The recurrence rate after complete resection was 13.8%. The recurrence rate for incomplete resection was 46.7%. Extent of tumor removal was significant to recurrence (P < 0.001) for benign as well for atypical and malignant meningiomas. Tumor location (P > 0.05) was not significant to recurrence. Conclusions. Atypical and malignant meningiomas appeared at a rate of 8.8% of our series of intracranial meningiomas. They showed a significant predisposition to recur. These rare subtypes have higher morbidity and mortality rates than benign meningiomas. Recurrence depends primarily on the extent of surgical removal and on the histological characterization of the tumor as atypical or malignant.

To investigate the conditions that have developed in the treatment of posttraumatic meningitis with the use of new antibiotics, the authors studied cases with this infection retrospectively for a period of 68 months. Among 860 patients with moderate to severe head injuries, 12 (1.39%) sustained this complication. Of these, nine patients (75%) had a demonstrable basilar skull fracture and seven (58.3%) presented obvious rhinorrhea. Of these seven, four (57.1%) were treated conservatively and three (42.8%) finally underwent surgery for dural repair. The infecting agents were Gram-positive cocci (Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus warneri, Staphylococcus cohnii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae) in five patients and Gram-negative bacilli in six patients (Escherichia coli in two, Klebsiella pneumoniae in two, and Acinetobacter anitratus in two). In one patient, the culture results were negative. All Gram-negative strains appeared resistant to ampicillin and third-generation cephalosporins, but sensitive to imipenem and to the quinolone ciprofloxacin. Gram-positive strains were sensitive to vancomycin. Hydrocephalus finally developed in the two patients who had received intrathecal infusions of amikacin. No other report of the relation of intrathecal infusion of antibiotics and the development of hydrocephalus was found. All patients survived, indicating that, for the present, posttraumatic meningitis is a nonfatal complication of head injury.

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