MENINGIOMAS ASSOCIATED WITH PERITUMOURAL VENOUS STASIS - 3 TYPES ON CEREBRAL ANGIOGRAM

Many factors have been suggested as possible mechanisms for the develo pment of peritumoural oedema in meningioma. Venous compression by the tumour is thought to be one factor, but reports presenting a direct re lationship between venous compression and the formation of oedema are rare. We have recently observed 6 meningioma patients in whom venous s tasis contributed to peritumoural oedema. The stasis was due to 1) com pression of an adjacent cortical vein by the tumour with stasis at the site of compression and/or its distal portion, 2) compression of adja cent brain by the tumour with prolonged perfusion and delayed venous r eturn (visualized as pial staining in the capillary and venous phases) , and 3) presence of an early draining vein linked to a nearby cortica l vein with stasis at its periphery. Venous compression and stasis see m to be related not only to the formation of peritumoural oedema but a lso to the occurrence of haemorrhagic infarction after the resection o f meningiomas.