Intracranial meningioma manifesting as transient ischemic attack

Abstract

Meningiomas are the most common intracranial primary neoplasm in adults. They present a wide variety of clinical manifestation and interpreting the symptomatology of meningiomas according to their location is one of the most fascinating topics that explore the full potential of the clinical neurologic examination. Epileptic seizures are reported as the very first symptom in most patients. However, cerebrovascular events, particularly transient ischemic attacks (TIA), are uncommon presentation of meningiomas. We describe the case of a patient with an intracranial meningioma manifesting initially as TIA and make a brief review upon the possible explanations of the event.

Does tumoral cavernous carotid stenosis predict an increased risk of future stroke in skull base meningiomas?

“…15,16 Our results corroborate and expand on previous work describing this event. [10][11][12][13]17 The behavior of meningiomas and the characteristics of the ICA may help to explain why stroke occurs infrequently in these tumors. Meningiomas are slow growing, with a mean increase in diameter ranging from 0.24 to 0.8 mm/yr.…”

“…9 Other studies suggest that these meningiomas may contribute to ischemic symptoms through edema and compression of the surrounding vasculature sufficient to cause transient hypoperfusion. [10][11][12] While transient ischemia is described in the literature, there is to our knowledge only one study documenting acute infarction resulting from a meningioma compressing the ICA. Hemodynamic hypoperfusion and arteryto-artery embolization due to ICA stenosis are suggested mechanisms for the presentation of these strokes.…”