Role of brachytherapy in the management of the skull base meningioma. Treatment of skull base meningiomas.
BACKGROUND
The treatment of primary and recurrent skull base meningiomas presents a formidable surgical problem.


METHODS
Fifteen patients with primary and recurrent skull base meningiomas were treated by means of interstitial irradiation with iodine 125 (125I) seed implantation. The physical characteristics of 125I enabled the authors to administer a minimum tumor dose ranging from 100 to 500 Gy at a low dose rate of 0.05-0.25 Gy per hour.


RESULTS
All 15 patients are alive at a median follow-up of 29 months. Of the 15 patients, 2 with calcification and 2 without calcification achieved only partial responses. The remaining 11 patients achieved a complete response. No early or late complications were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
From these data, the authors conclude that interstitial irradiation with 125I seeds is an effective, safe, and simple method in the treatment of both recurrent and primary skull base meningiomas.
Division of Radiation Oncology, University of Nebraska, Medical Center, Omaha.
P P
PP
Kumar
A A
AA
Patil
H W
HW
Syh
W K
WK
Chu
M A
MA
Reeves
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes