title: Spinal meningioma in childhood: clinical features and treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this retrospective study is to determine the clinical characteristics and the prognosis of the spinal meningioma in childhood (under 18 years of age) based on the treatment at our institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten spinal meningioma cases in children were treated during the last 9 years. The clinical data was retrospectively analyzed and the results were compared with those in the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The series included eight males and two females and the mean age was 13.2 years. The most common initial symptoms were pain (6/10) and the common signs were limb weakness (4/10) and gait disturbance (2/10) and distal paresthesia (1/10) and bladder disturbance (1/10). Four patients had other clinical signs of neurofibromatosis type II (NF-2) such as tumors elsewhere. All the tumors were located in cervical and thoracic vertebrae. Resection according to Simpson Grade I (6/10), II (2/10), III (1/10), and IV (1/10) were performed. Grade II meningiomas accounted for 3/10 in this series. All patients were followed up with mean follow-up period of 43 months. Seven patients had recurrence of the tumor in that period and one had died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spinal meningioma is an uncommon pediatric neoplasm and has a poor prognosis. It has a male predominance and is inclined to be associated with NF-2, and those that are associated with higher pathologic subtypes and NF-2 have more unfavorable outcome. Every effort should be made to achieve total removal which may decrease the incidence of recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qiang
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xian-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Bi-Yun
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ya-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.forename: Jin-Song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cheng-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008579:Meningioma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery