Cervical lymphatic metastasis of an intracranial meningioma

Introduction. Meningioma is the most common primary intracranial tumor, accounting for around a third of all primary brain tumor. In most cases, they are benign neoplasms that start in the cells of the arachnoid mater. Meningiomas are typically slow growing; however they can metastasize in 0.1% of all patients. Case report. A 45-years-old woman was admitted with a four weeks history of a painless enlarging mass in the right side of his neck and present in a MRI recurrence of the frontal meningioma surgically removed four times over the last 18 years. The patient underwent a complete removal of lesions and the microscopic observation showed an anaplastic meningioma in both (grade III of the World Health Organization). Conclusions. Metastatic meningioma is a rare cause of neck mass, but should be considered in any patient with a history of meningioma, especially if the tumor has histological features of malignant behavior. The present case demonstrates the aggressive biologic potential of an intracranial meningioma, with potential for distant spread and lymphatic invasion.