Characteristics of Intracranial Meningiomas in Childhood

Abstract

18 cases of meningiomas in childhood below the age of 15 years at the onset of symptoms and signs were experienced in our clinic. They were studied as for the incidence, age and sex distributions, symptoms and signs at the onset, tumor locations, histological types, presence of cyst, dural attachments, and prognosis, in comparison with cases in adolescence (18 cases) and in adults (498 cases). Distinctive features in childhood meningiomas were: (1) relatively high incidence in the lateral ventricles (11.1%), (2) high incidence of cyst formation in the tumor (16.7%), and (3) of cases without any dural attachment (12.5%). These features were statistically significant as compared to adult cases (p<0.05). Features 1 and 2 were also true for adolescence cases. It was also revealed that male patients were predominent in childhood and adolescence (M:F= 10:8) in contrast to female predominance in adults (M: F = 1:1.6). The most frequent histological type was sarcomatous type (6 out of 18). It may be of interest that 3 cases of this malignant type have been alive for more than 10 years.

Intracranial Meningiomas of Childhood and Adolescence

“…They are known to occur frequently cystic and calcified. Dural attachment is not as common as in adult meningiomas [2, 9, 11, 15, 16]. However, dural attachment was observed in all patients.…”

“…In our series, they represented 2.7% of all meningiomas and 3.9% of all pediatric intracranial tumors operated during the same period. As compared with the adult meningiomas documented in the literature, there is male predominance in pediatric meningiomas [4, 7, 9]. …”

Meningiomas em pacientes pediátricos: relato de 2 casos

“…DISCUSSÃO Incidência e Epidemiologia -Os meningiomas correspondem de 1% a 4% das neoplasias intracranianas primárias nas duas primeiras décadas de vida 4,5,[7][8][9][10] . Dentre 318 meningiomas estudados por Sheikh e cols.…”

“…Médi-co Residente em Neurocirurgia do Hospital Nossa Senhora das Graça; 2 Professor Adjunto de Neurocirurgia da Universidade .ederal do Paraná (U.PR) e Coordenador da Residência Médica em Neurocirurgia do Hospital Nossa Senhora das Graças; 3 Neurocirurgião do Hospital Nossa Senhora das Graças; 4 Professor Titular de Neurocirurgia da U.PR e Chefe do Serviço de Neurocirurgia do Hospital Nossa Senhora das Graças; 5 Acadêmico do Curso de Medicina da U.PR e Bolsista de Iniciação Científica PIBIC/CNPq; 6 Professor Titular de Neuropatologia da U.PR e Chefe do Serviço de Anatomia Patológica do Hospital Nossa Senhora das Graças. Os meningiomas são tumores que acometem com maior freqüência pacientes femininos na 5ª década de vida.…”

“…Taptas 4 em 1961 revisou 1760 meningiomas e encontrou apenas 19 casos na infância (1,2%). Alguns autores relatam que os meningiomas pediátricos apresentam maior incidência no sexo masculino e menor freqüência de aderência à dura-máter 5,6 . Além disso, localizações diferentes às dos adultos, com maior ocorrência intraventricular, crescimento rápido, predisposição à transformação sarcomatosa e pior prognóstico são características desta entidade 7 .…”