Rare Mimicry of Meningioma: Angioleiomyoma of the Falx

Abstract

Background Angioleiomyomas (ALMs) are benign soft tissue tumors composed of various size vessels with abundant intervening smooth muscles. Intracranial ALMs are exceedingly rare with 12 reported cases to date presenting as extracerebral masses that mimic cerebral cavernous malformation or meningiomas.

Objective We report a case of intracranial ALM of the falx cerebri imitating an atypical meningioma or hemangiopericytoma.

Results and Conclusions Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and perfusion-weighted MRI revealed special features that may be helpful to distinguish ALMs from meningiomas and should result in the consideration of rarer extracerebral tumors like ALMs.

Keywords

angioleiomyomas - atypical meningioma - perfusion-weighted MRI

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