Variants of Meningiomas: a Review of Imaging Findings and Clinical Features

Overview

Journal Jpn J Radiol

Publisher Springer

Specialty Radiology

Date 2016 May 4

PMID 27138052

Citations 31

Authors

Akira Kunimatsu

Natsuko Kunimatsu

Kouhei Kamiya

Masaki Katsura

Harushi Mori

Kuni Ohtomo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Meningiomas are common neoplasms that frequently occur in the brain and spine. Among the 15 histological subtypes of meningiomas in the WHO classification, the incidence of meningothelial meningiomas is the highest, followed by fibrous and transitional meningiomas. These three subtypes account for approximately 80 % of all meningiomas, and thus could be regarded as typical meningiomas. For this reason, other uncommon histological subtypes may be considered as imaging variants, and diagnosis is often challenging for radiologists solely based on imaging features of typical meningiomas. In addition to the histological subtypes, meningiomas arising in atypical locations could be easily mistaken for other lesions more commonly observed in those locations. The purpose of this article is to review characteristic clinical and imaging findings of uncommon meningiomas, including histological variants and meningiomas occurring in relatively rare locations.

Citing Articles

Identification of key elements in MRI reporting of intracranial meningiomas based on a nationwide survey of clinical experts in Germany.

Huckhagel T, Abboud T, Regelsberger J, Rieken S, Riedel C Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):1043.

PMID: 39762278 PMC: 11704235. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-83737-1.

Creeping through the cranium: A rare and interesting presentation of a meningioma.

Gone J, Kennedy B, Fontaine T, Szilagyi S Radiol Case Rep. 2024; 19(9):3928-3933.

PMID: 39040833 PMC: 11261274. DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2024.05.088.

Radiological Insights From Two Distinct Cases of Pineal Region Meningioma: A Case Report.

Ravipati C, Vikram M, Ramakrishnan K, Malaichamy A Cureus. 2024; 16(4):e57796.

PMID: 38721197 PMC: 11077486. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.57796.

Intracranial meningiomas at a tertiary hospital: Spectrum of MRI findings with histopathologic correlation.

Pienaar J, Varghese J SA J Radiol. 2024; 28(1):2812.

PMID: 38628266 PMC: 11019068. DOI: 10.4102/sajr.v28i1.2812.

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors of atypical meningiomas with bone invasion: a retrospective analysis of nine cases and literature review.

Cucu A, Costea C, Macovei G, Dumitrescu G, Sava A, Blaj L Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2024; 64(4):509-515.

PMID: 38184831 PMC: 10863686. DOI: 10.47162/RJME.64.4.07.

References

Santelli L, Ramondo G, Della Puppa A, Ermani M, Scienza R, dAvella D . Diffusion-weighted imaging does not predict histological grading in meningiomas. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2010; 152(8):1315-9. DOI: 10.1007/s00701-010-0657-y. View

. Report of Brain Tumor Registry of Japan (1984-2000). Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo). 2013; 49 Suppl:PS1-96. View

Erman T, Hanta I, Haciyakupoglu S, Zorludemir S, Zeren H, Gocer A . Huge bilateral pulmonary and pleural metastasis from intracranial meningioma: a case report and review of the literature. J Neurooncol. 2005; 74(2):179-81. DOI: 10.1007/s11060-004-3014-2. View

Pond J, Morgan T, Hatanpaa K, Yetkin Z, Mickey B, Mendelsohn D . Chordoid Meningioma: Differentiating a Rare World Health Organization Grade II Tumor from Other Meningioma Histologic Subtypes Using MRI. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015; 36(7):1253-8. PMC: 7965287. DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A4309. View

Surov A, Ginat D, Sanverdi E, Tchoyoson Lim C, Hakyemez B, Yogi A . Use of Diffusion Weighted Imaging in Differentiating Between Maligant and Benign Meningiomas. A Multicenter Analysis. World Neurosurg. 2015; 88:598-602. DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2015.10.049. View

Yu X, Jun-Zhang , Zhang B, Huang W, Bo-Yin , Tan W . Magnetic resonance imaging findings of intracranial papillary meningioma: a study on eight cases. Clin Imaging. 2014; 38(5):611-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2014.04.017. View

Nur S, Chuang L, Ramaswamy G . Primary extracranial meningioma of the pelvis: a light microscopic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study. Gynecol Oncol. 2006; 103(2):745-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2006.05.050. View

Liu Z, Wang C, Wang H, Wang Y, Li J, Liu Y . Clinical characteristics and treatment of angiomatous meningiomas: a report of 27 cases. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2013; 6(4):695-702. PMC: 3606859. View

Wang D, Xie Q, Gong Y, Wang Y, Cheng H, Mao Y . Secretory meningiomas: clinical, radiological and pathological findings in 70 consecutive cases at one institution. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2013; 6(3):358-74. PMC: 3563189. View

10.

Wang X, Huang M, Zhang H, Sun F, Tao B, Feng B . Clear cell meningioma: clinical features, CT, and MR imaging findings in 23 patients. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2014; 38(2):200-8. DOI: 10.1097/RCT.0000000000000018. View

11.

Yang S, Law M, Zagzag D, Wu H, Cha S, Golfinos J . Dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion MR imaging measurements of endothelial permeability: differentiation between atypical and typical meningiomas. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2003; 24(8):1554-9. PMC: 7974003. View

12.

Bhat A, Wani M, Kirmani A, Ramzan A . Histological-subtypes and anatomical location correlated in meningeal brain tumors (meningiomas). J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2014; 5(3):244-9. PMC: 4078607. DOI: 10.4103/0976-3147.133568. View

13.

Tokumaru A, Ouchi T, Eguchi T, Kawamoto S, Kokubo T, Suzuki M . Prominent meningeal enhancement adjacent to meningioma on Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR images: histopathologic correlation. Radiology. 1990; 175(2):431-3. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.175.2.2326470. View

14.

Hakyemez B, Yildirim N, Gokalp G, Erdogan C, Parlak M . The contribution of diffusion-weighted MR imaging to distinguishing typical from atypical meningiomas. Neuroradiology. 2006; 48(8):513-20. DOI: 10.1007/s00234-006-0094-z. View

15.

Liu J, Zhou J, Ma Y, Dong C . An analysis of the magnetic resonance imaging and pathology of intracal lymphoplasmacyte-rich meningioma. Eur J Radiol. 2011; 81(5):968-73. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2011.02.014. View

16.

Wang S, Kim S, Zhang Y, Wang L, Lee E, Syre P . Determination of grade and subtype of meningiomas by using histogram analysis of diffusion-tensor imaging metrics. Radiology. 2011; 262(2):584-92. DOI: 10.1148/radiol.11110576. View

17.

Ko K, Nam D, Kong D, Lee J, Park K, Kim J . Relationship between malignant subtypes of meningioma and clinical outcome. J Clin Neurosci. 2007; 14(8):747-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2006.05.005. View

18.

Buetow M, Buetow P, Smirniotopoulos J . Typical, atypical, and misleading features in meningioma. Radiographics. 1991; 11(6):1087-106. DOI: 10.1148/radiographics.11.6.1749851. View

19.

Colnat-Coulbois S, Kremer S, Weinbreck N, Pinelli C, Auque J . Lipomatous meningioma: report of 2 cases and review of the literature. Surg Neurol. 2007; 69(4):398-402. DOI: 10.1016/j.surneu.2006.11.072. View

20.

Chen C, Tseng Y, Hsu H, Jung S . Microcystic meningioma: importance of obvious hypointensity on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2008; 32(1):130-4. DOI: 10.1097/RCT.0b013e318064f127. View