Coexistence of intracranial and spinal meningiomas--report of two cases.

The authors report two rare cases of multiple meningiomas in both the intracranial and spinal regions. A 64-year-old female presented with a right sphenoidal ridge meningioma and a cervical extramedullary meningioma. Tumor histology was transitional and vacuolated types, respectively. The tumors were removed successfully in two stages, craniotomy then laminectomy 3 months later. A 62-year-old female presented with a right sphenoidal ridge meningioma (meningotheliomatous type) which was totally removed. An extramedullary spinal meningioma became symptomatic 33 months later, which was also removed totally. The meningiomas in the first case had different subtypes, but immunohistochemical characteristics including microcyst formation were similar. The second case had meningiomas of the same subtype with similar characteristics, but different fibrous septum development. Multiple meningiomas, even in different compartments of the central nervous system, may have common characteristics.