Multiple spinal meningiomas: A case report of a rare entity

Abstract

The occurrence of multiple meningiomas (MMs) in the spinal canal is a rare clinical entity, if neurofibromatosis is absent. Only 17 cases of multiple spinal meningiomas can be found through a search on the database of pubmed. Moreover, MMs removed from the same patient usually show identical histological features. Considering the rarity of MMs with distinct histological features in the spinal compartment, we described an unusual case with two different subtypes of spinal meningiomas at entirely different levels at the same time and briefly reviewed the related literature.A 47-year-old woman presented with pain, numbness and weakness on the left arm and leg leading to the diagnosis of two intradural extramedullary spinal tumors located anterior to the spinal cord at the levels of C7 – Th2 and Th12 – L1 through magnetic resonance imaging. After successfully removal of both tumors, the histopathological examination revealed meningothelial and psammomatous meningiomas, respectively. Although multiple meningiomas in the spinal compartment is fairly uncommon, this entity should be kept in mind and we suggest screening of other regions of the spine in cases of spinal meningioma, even if without signs of neurofibromatosis.