INTRACRANIAL MENINGIOMAS IN CHILDREN - REVIEW OF 29 CASES

BACKGROUND Meningiomas are predominantly tumors of the fifth and sixth decades of life. Although rare in infancy and childhood, they represe nt an important field in pediatric neurosurgery. METHODS Twenty-nine c hildren under 15 years of age with intracranial meningiomas were treat ed during the period 1968-1994 in the Department of Pediatric Neurosur gery in Marseille (23 cases) and in the Department of Neurosurgery of Cerrahpasa Medical School in Istanbul (6 cases). These tumors represen ted 2.4% of all central nervous system (CNS) tumors in this age group. RESULTS There were 18 boys and 11 girls. Eighteen cases (62%) occured between 10 and 15 years of age and two cases were infants. Twelve chi ldren (41%) had associated neurofibromatosis. Presenting symptoms were related to the tumor location. Thirty-one intracranial meningiomas we re observed in these 29 children. Cerebral convexity was the most comm on location and 13% of the tumors had no dural attachment. Thirty-one tumors were operated on and total removal was achieved in 25 patients (86.2%). Five patients died, one during surgery. There was no mortalit y among the 17 children without neurofibromatosis. After a mean 6.5 ye ar follow-up period, 13 patients (45%) are neurologically intact, 8 pa tients (27.5%) have a moderate disability, without evidence of tumor r ecurrence. CONCLUSION Childhood meningiomas occur predominantly in mal es. Absence of dural attachment is more common in children than in adu lts. Childhood meningiomas have a low recurrence rate. They are freque ntly associated with neurofibromatosis; this is the most important fac tor influencing outcome. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc.