PURPOSE: To assess MR and pathologic characteristics of childhood intr
acranial meningiomas, comparing the radiographic findings with those o
bserved in adult intracranial meningiomas. METHODS: Clinical records,
MR and CT scans, and histology of eight children with intracranial men
ingiomas presenting for a period of 7.5 years were retrospectively rev
iewed. RESULTS: Boys equaled girls but predominated from ages 4 to 11
years. The ages ranged from 4 to 18 years. Two patients had radiation-
induced meningiomas. Two children had multiple lesions; neither had ne
urofibromatosis. All solitary lesions were supratentorial. Other chara
cteristics included: dural-based attachment (n = 6); large size (>5 cm
) (n = 4); cystic components (n = 3); and intraventricular location (n
= 1). Histologic subtypes were: meningothelial (n = 4); transitional
(n = 3); and fibroblastic (n = 1). Preoperative diagnoses of meningiom
as were made in six cases based on overall imaging characteristics. CO
NCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of childhood intracranial meningiomas does not di
ffer from that of adults radiographically, with the exception of large
r tumor sizes.