Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma with CT and MRI appearance of meningioma

Abstract

We describe a pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) in a young girls whose frontal lobe location, solid structure, dural tail and MRI signal characteristics led to a preoperative diagnosis of meningioma. PXA should be considered in differential diagnosis of tumours affecting young patients with neuroradiological characteristics suggestive of meningioma.

Uncommon glial tumors

“…After administration of gadolinium, the nodular portion of the tumors typically showed marked enhancement. One report described a PXA with radiographic characteristics similar to a meningioma, including location and the presence of a dural tail (Pierallini et al 1999). Most commonly, minimal edema is observed on MRI (Rippe et al 1992).…”

Prevalence and Surgical Implications of Dural Enhancement at the Porus Acusticus in Vestibular Schwannomas

“…However, a definitive conclusion was not drawn due to the small number of patients with radiologic-pathologic correlation. 9 A number of subsequent case reports and small series have expanded the types of intracranial neoplasms that may exhibit a dural tail, eventually including a number of benign [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] and malignant primary tumors, [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] metastatic lesions, [38][39][40][41][42][43][44] facial nerve schwannoma, 45 and VS. [46][47][48][49] While many of these tumors occur at other intracranial locations, a number of malignant primary CPA tumors exhibiting a dural tail have been reported, including glioblastoma, 34,37 medulloblastoma, 31 and melanoma. 30 In the case of CPA medulloblastoma, the authors commented on histopathologic evidence of dural tumor invasion.…”

Imaging of Common Adult and Pediatric Primary Brain Tumors

“…As a result, a "dural tail" may be present that can help differentiate these neoplasms from other cortical tumors, such as DNET or ganglioglioma. 36…”