Hemorrhagic meningioma with pulmonary metastasis: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Abstract Meningiomas are extra-axial neoplasms that originate from the arachnoid cap cells located on the inner surface of the meninges. Approximately 36% of central nervous system tumors are meningiomas. Based on earlier findings to be benign in most cases, they are categorized as slow-growing tumors that form gradually over time. Meningiomas are usually asymptomatic and discovered inadvertently. They rarely present with immediate clinical symptoms or abrupt hemorrhagic strokes. However, tumor hemorrhage can be fatal in high-grade meningiomas, particularly those with vascularization. We describe a 58-year-old man who was hospitalized after experiencing an unexpectedly acute headache. The right cerebellar hemisphere and vermis cerebellar hemorrhage were detected on computed tomography (CT), and the cerebellar hemorrhage was explained by a diagnosis of hypertension. When additional analysis of the patient’s chest CT indicated lung mass lesions, we assumed that the lung cancer had spread to the brain. However, the pathological outcomes of a guided definite pulmonary aspiration biopsy, in conjunction with resection of the cerebellar tumor, suggested a subtentorial meningioma with ruptured hemorrhage and pulmonary meningioma metastasis. The patient was transferred to a hospital closer to home for ongoing follow-up and, after 2 months, he had recovered well.