Clinical Presentation and Management of Atypical Meningioma in a Five-Year-Old Child: A Case Report

Abstract

While meningiomas are the most frequent among adult primary intracranial tumors, they remain a rare condition in children, accounting for less than 5% of pediatric central nervous system tumors. These tumors have been linked to conditions like neurofibromatosis type 2 and radiation exposure, and they usually present with increased intracranial pressure and other neurological symptoms. Diagnosis relies on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which reveals heterogeneous masses often mistaken for other types of tumors. Surgical resection is the first line of treatment; however, it is often complicated by anatomical characteristics and the fast growth rate of pediatric meningiomas. Adjuvant radiotherapy is commonly used in high-grade or residual meningiomas. Histopathological evaluation is essential to determine the grade and subtype of the meningioma, which in turn influences the prognosis and clinical management. The case involves a five-year-old boy suffering from a large atypical meningioma, managed successfully by complete surgical resection followed by radiotherapy. This scenario underscores the significance of integrated therapeutic modalities that bring together surgery and radiotherapy for better long-term control over the disease in children with meningioma cases.