title: Middle meningeal artery aneurysm associated with meningioma.
abstract: The aneurysms of the middle meningeal artery are extremely rare. 30 pseudoaneurysms of the middle meningeal artery (MMA) are reported in literature. These are post-traumatic lesions different from the true aneurysms that have a different origin. In fact they can be associated with arteriovenous malformations, Paget's disease and tumors; nevertheless in some cases the genesis remains unknown. Sometimes the berry aneurysm of MMA can cause non traumatic extradural hematomas. The association meningioma-aneurysm of the middle meningeal artery is extremely rare: only a case has been signalled till now in literature. In our case the patient was a 69 year-old woman admitted in our department following an epileptic seizure. Neuroradiological studies (post-contrast CT and RM) showed a meningioma of the right pterion. A preoperative angiography evidenciated a big blush from the afferences of meningioma by the middle meningeal artery and, proximally a small berry aneurysm of this artery. Selective embolization of the tumor and the aneurysm was performed preoperatively with polyvinyl particles and straight platinum coils. A craniotomy a surgical resection of the meningioma were performed. The role of the endovascular treatment in the management of these lesions is underlined to decrease the risks of morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ospedale Loreto Nuovo, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lama
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mottolese
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D008576:Meningeal Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008579:Meningioma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed