Question
Meningioma
Answer
Meningioma is a common, usually benign, primary intracranial (or spinal) tumour arising from meningothelial (arachnoid cap) cells, more common in women and typically in middle-to-older age.
Gross: Well-circumscribed, dural-based mass attached to the dura, often compressing but not invading the underlying brain; may show a “dural tail” on imaging.
Microscopy: Whorled nests of meningothelial cells with oval nuclei showing characteristic intranuclear cytoplasmic (pseudo-)inclusions; psammoma bodies (concentric, laminated calcifications) are a characteristic finding.
Behaviour: WHO Grade I (benign, majority of cases) — slow-growing, low recurrence risk after complete resection. Grade II (atypical) and Grade III (anaplastic/malignant) variants show increased mitotic activity, brain invasion, and higher recurrence rates.
Clinical: Often asymptomatic, incidentally discovered; symptomatic cases present with headache, seizures, or focal neurological deficits from mass effect, depending on location.