MENINGIOMAS - THE DECISION NOT TO OPERATE

In a consecutive series of 100 patients diagnosed with meningiomas, we advised 12 patients not to have surgery, and followed them from 3.3 t o 12.8 years (mean, 8.8 years). The two determinants of this decision were either absence of related neurologic symptoms or signs and concer n about high operative risk of neurologic impairment. Serial imaging s tudies showed meningioma growth in only one of the 12 unoperated patie nts and only one had convincing progression of neurologic impairment.