Objective: This study aims to identify differences in the recurrence pattern of surgically resected
skull base meningiomas compared with superficial intracranial meningiomas.
Methods: This study was a retrospective hospital-based analysis of all patients referred to
our institution from January 1990 to June 2014 for surgical resection of meningiomas.
The database constituted both patients with a first time presentation and those with
evidence of recurrence presenting for a surgical evaluation. Tumor proliferation index
(based on the MIB-1 index) and the overall time to recurrence of the cohort of surgically
resected skull base and superficial meningiomas were documented. Kaplan–Meier curves
and life tables were constructed for analysis of survival. SPSS v22.0 was used for
statistical analysis.
Results: Overall, 398 intracranial meningiomas—269 (68%) superficial and 129 (32%) skull base—were
available for review. Follow-up time ranged from 1 week to 250 months. Skull base
lesions were found to have a significantly lower average MIB-1 index compared with
their superficial counterparts (0.0413 vs. 0.0620, p = 0.001). Meningiomas in all the locations demonstrated a recurrence rate of 30%
at an average of 100 months of follow-up. Subsequent to this point, however, the recurrence
of skull base meningiomas demonstrated a plateau (250 months of follow-up) whereas
superficial lesions were found to have a recurrence rate of 80% at 230 months of follow-up
(p = 0.038).
Conclusion: As reflected by the difference in the MIB-1 index, surgically resected skull base
meningiomas demonstrated a less aggressive behavior compared with superficial lesions.
This was reflected in the clinical recurrence rate of 80% for the latter. This suggests
that while skull base lesions may not necessarily need to be followed beyond 100 months,
superficial meningiomas would require a greater long-term follow-up given their higher
propensity for recurrence. Molecular markers such as the MIB-1 index are important
parameters in this decision as well.