title: Predisposing conditions and risk factors for development of symptomatic meningioma in adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Risk factors and predisposing factors for the development of symptomatic meningioma during adult life are not well known.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 306 consecutive patients with primary meningioma were collected retrospectively in a hypothesis-generating study. Factors studied included localisation of tumours, blood group typing, and risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus, coronary arterial disease, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, smoking, obesity, and second primary tumour. Case-control analysis of putative risk factors was carried out using a control data set from the German East-West Health Survey (n=7466, age range 25-69 years). Patients and controls were matched for age, gender, geographic area, and time of data collection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rh(D) positive cases were significantly less frequent in the patient group compared to controls (p=0.01). Pre-existing diabetes was associated with meningioma in middle-aged (40-69 years) patients (odds ratio, OR 13.94-4.30, p=0.001-0.05). In female patients, arterial hypertension was significantly associated with occurrence of meningioma in the age group 60-69 years (OR=2.23, p=0.041). Rheumatoid arthritis had a negative association with meningioma in both males and females in the age groups above 50 years (OR 0.19-0.27, p=0.02-0.034). Bronchial asthma, smoking, and obesity were not significantly associated with meningioma. A second primary tumour was present in 12 cases. The most frequent combination was meningioma and breast cancer (5/12).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows statistically significant association of some co-morbidities with symptomatic meningioma in adults. Areas of interest have been identified where further research would be necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Central Clinic, Bad Berka, Germany.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Heinke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pülhorn
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Röhrig
authors.forename: Nikolai G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Rainov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors