Primary Intracranial Angioleiomyomas as Rare, Nonmalignant, and Distinct Neoplastic Entities: A Series of 8 Cases and a Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE

Primary intracranial angioleiomyoma is a rare and distinct neoplasm. Only 29 cases have been reported previously, and we aimed to investigate the clinical and radiopathologic features of these lesions.

METHODS

Medical records and radiographs of 8 patients (7 male and 1 female; mean age: 48.7 years) at our institution were reviewed retrospectively. Patient follow-up and a literature review were performed.

RESULTS

The most common preoperative symptom was a visual defect (n = 2), followed by diplopia (n = 1) and abducens paralysis (n = 1). Three patients were asymptomatic. The parasellar area (particularly the cavernous sinus) was the predilection site (n = 4; 50.0%). Radiographically, all lesions were solid without cystic degeneration. All lesions appeared with T1 hypointensity and T2 hyperintensity, and they were gradually heterogeneously enhanced after the administration of gadolinium. Complete resection was achieved in 7 patients (87.5%) without recurrence after 26.8 months of follow-up. Mitosis was rarely observed, and the Ki-67 labeling index was less than 1%; pathologically, the cavernous type was the most common.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary intracranial angioleiomyomas were prevalent in middle-aged men, and they usually involved the cavernous sinus and were frequently pathologically identified as the cavernous type. Preoperative symptoms varied depending on lesion location. The preoperative diagnosis of primary intracranial angioleiomyomas is difficult without pathology. Digital subtraction angiography and preoperative embolization are useful for differential diagnosis and surgery. Given the indolent biology of these tumors, a favorable outcome can be achieved using total resection without recurrence. A larger sample size with long-term follow-up is needed to verify our findings.