Cent Eur Neurosurg 2013; 74(03): 197-202
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1313722
Case Report
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

WHO Grade III Anaplastic Meningioma Metastasizing to the Parotid Gland and the Lungs: Case Report and Review of the Literature[*]

A. Herbst
1   Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Germany
,
U. Mueller-Vogt
1   Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Germany
,
A. Brawanski
1   Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Germany
,
M. Proescholdt
1   Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Germany
,
M. J. Riemenschneider
2   Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Regensburg, Germany
,
K.-M. Schebesch
1   Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
01 August 2012 (online)

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Introduction

Meningiomas are tumors that most likely originate from arachnoid cap cells and account for 13–26%  of all intracranial tumors.[13] According to the World Health Organization, they are subclassified as benign (grade I), atypical (grade II), or anaplastic (grade III).[10] The vast majority of meningiomas are benign, with only 1.0–2.8%  being malignant.[13] However, the malignant meningiomas represent a particularly aggressive tumor entity and have a reported 5-year survival rate of 32–64% .[18] An even smaller percentage of malignant meningiomas metastasize, about 0.1%  of all meningiomas.[7] The most common site are the lungs, but liver, bone, skin, subcutaneous tissue as well as locations along the craniospinal axis have also been repeatedly reported as sites of metastases.[3] Metastases to the parotid gland are very rare. In the reviewed literature on PubMed with the search terms “parotid gland” and “meningioma”, only 4 cases are described.[1] [5] [20] [22]

* This article was originally published online in Central European Neurosurgery on December 20, 2011 (DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1280838)