Abnormalities of chromosome 22 in pediatric meningiomas.

Cytogenetic studies of eight meningiomas in young children or adolescents were performed. Two tumors exhibited normal karyotypes. Two tumors from patients with bilateral acoustic neurofibromatosis demonstrated monosomy 22 as the only abnormality. Four patients had more complicated karyotypes in which one or both of the chromosomes 22 were missing or structurally altered. The most common secondary changes in these four tumors involved monosomy or structural abnormalities of chromosome 6. These findings confirm that the primary cytogenetic changes in meningioma are similar in children and adults. Molecular analyses of pediatric meningiomas with deletions or translocations of chromosome 22 will be useful for identifying the role of chromosome 22 tumor suppressor genes in this disease.