Intracranial Hemangiopericytoma: Study of 12 Cases

Abstract

Most hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are located in the musculoskeletal system and the skin, while the intracranial location is rare. They represent 2 to 4% in large series of meningeal tumours, thus accounting for less than 1% of all intracranial tumours. Many authors have argued about the true origin of this tumour. The current World Health Organization classification of Central Nervous System tumours distinguishes HPC as an entity of its own, and classified it into the group of "mesenchymal, non-meningothelial tumours". Radical surgery is the treatment of choice, but must be completed with postoperative radiotherapy, which has proved to be the therapy most strongly related to the final prognosis. HPCs have a relentless tendency for local recurrence and metastases outside the central nervous system which can appear even many years after diagnosis and adequate treatment of the primary tumour. Twelve patients with intracranial HPC were treated at our Unit between 1978 and 1999. There were 10 women and 2 men. Ten tumours were supratentorial and most located at frontoparietal parasagittal level. The most common manner of presentation was a focal motor deficit. All tumours were hyperdense in the basal Computed Tomography scans and most enhanced homogeneously following intravenous contrast injection. In 50% of cases, tumour margins were irregular or lobulated. Seven tumours were studied with Magnetic Resonance Imaging, being six of them iso-intense with the cortical gray matter on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. Twenty operations were performed in the 12 patients. In 10 cases radical excision could be achieved with no operative mortality. Total recurrence rate was 33.3%. Eight patients were treated with external radiotherapy at some time through the course of their disease. Eight out of the 12 patients in this series are disease-free (Glasgow Outcome Scale categories 1 and 2) after a mean follow up of 52 months.

Meningeal Hemangiopericytomas and Meningomas: a Comparative Immunohistochemical and Genetic Study

“…They are found mostly at supratentorial, less frequently at infratentorial, very rarely intraventricular and even intraparenchymal locations have been reported (Muttaqin et al, 1991;Abrahams et al, 1999;Alen et al, 2001;Kuzeyli et al, 2003). Similarly, most of MHPC as well as MNG in our cases are in a supratentorial location.…”

Intracranial Meningeal Hemangiopericytomas in Children and Adolescents: CT and MR Imaging Findings

“…This finding contrasted with other studies in which calcification was not seen in hemangiopericytoma. 2,4 Calcification in meningeal hemangiopericytoma has rarely been reported; indeed, we could find only 4 cases in 3 studies [12][13][14] : a 67-year-old woman, a 23-year-old woman, a 6-week-old boy, and a 12-year-old girl. Calcifications in these 5 cases (including the patient in our study) were all located in the tumor periphery.…”

Retroorbital Hemangiopericytoma and Cavernous Sinus Schwannoma. Case Report.

“…However, the lesion was large and primary radiotherapy was not considered to be a suitable option. 1,6) The radiological features suggested that the lesion was located in the intracavernous sinus. During surgery the lesion was found within the dural confines of the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus.…”