Metastatic meningioma: a case series and systematic review

Abstract

Background Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumor. While the majority of meningiomas are benign, rarely they can metastasize extracranially. There is a need for a more comprehensive review of these patients to improve our understanding of this rare phenomenon and its prevalence globally. Here we describe our institution’s experience of patients presenting with metastatic meningiomas. We further perform a systematic review of the existing literature to explore common features of this rare manifestation of meningioma and review the efficacy of current treatments. Methods We performed a retrospective clinical review of all adult patients with metastatic meningioma managed at our institution over the past 20 years, identifying 6 patients. We then performed a systematic review of cases of metastatic meningioma in the literature ranging from the years 1886 to 2022. A descriptive analysis was then conducted on the available data from 1979 onward, focusing on the grade and location of the primary tumor as well as the latency period to, and location of, the metastasis. Results In total, we analyzed 155 cases. Fifty-four percent of patients initially presented with a primary meningioma located in the convexity. The most common site of metastasis was the lung. Risk factors associated with a shorter time to metastasis were male sex and a high initial grade of the tumor. Regarding treatment, the addition of chemotherapy was the most common adjunct to the standard management of surgery and radiotherapy. Despite an exhaustive review we were unable to identify effective treatments. The majority of published cases came from centers situated in high-income countries (84%) while only 16% came from lower- and middle-income countries. Conclusions Metastatic meningiomas pose a pertinent, and likely underestimated, clinical challenge within modern neurosurgery. To optimize management, timely identification of these patients is important. More research is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying these tumors to better guide the development of effective screening and management protocols. However, screening of each meningioma patient is not feasible, and at the heart of this challenge is the inability to control the primary disease. Ultimately, a consensus is needed as to how to correctly screen for and manage these patients; genomic and epigenomic approaches could hold the answer to finding druggable targets.

Unusual clinical presentation of cervical extradural meningioma detected with neuromuscular ultrasound: A case report

“…Furthermore, the occurrence of distant metastasis in meningioma is rare, with an incidence rate of ~0.18% across all types of meningioma. A larger tumor size, being of male sex and having a high Simpson grade have been identified as independent factors contributing to the likelihood of distant metastasis ( 33 , 34 ). The spread of meningioma metastases is hypothesized to occur through the venous system, lymphatics or cerebrospinal fluid ( 32 , 35 ).…”

Diffuse pleural metastasis from atypical meningioma

“…When they do occur, they do so primarily in the lungs, liver, lymph nodes and bones. 2 Pleural metastasis from meningioma is rare. 3 , 4 This study reports the case of a 69‐year‐old male patient with diffuse pleural metastasis from recurrent intracranial meningioma managed with imatinib.…”