title: Pneumosinus dilatans in anterior skull base meningiomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Skull base meningiomas are often missed on non-contrast CT or MR examinations due to their close proximity to bone and low lesion to brain contrast. The purpose of this study is to illustrate that pneumosinus dilatans can be an indicator of anterior skull base meningiomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective search of the radiology information system and picture archiving and computing system database was performed. Search terms were "meningioma" in association with "pneumosinus dilatans." Medical records and imaging studies were reviewed independently by two experienced neuroradiologists and were read in consensus. We recorded the patient age at the time of discovery of the meningioma, main presenting symptom(s), location of the tumor, and imaging characteristics. We also performed a comparative literature search for pneumosinus dilatans and its association with meningiomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten patients (six women; four men) were identified in whom a meningioma of the anterior skull base was associated with a pneumosinus dilatans. Three patients had multiple meningiomas, so a total of 14 intracranial tumors were identified. Mean age at discovery was 59 years with an age range of ± 20years. All meningiomas were diagnosed by MRI and/or CT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pneumosinus dilatans can be a helpful sign to indicate the presence of a meningioma of the anterior skull base.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium. paul.parizel@ua.ac.be
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Parizel
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carpentier
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Van Marck
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Venstermans
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Belder
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Goethem
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van den Hauwe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Menovsky
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010254:Paranasal Sinus Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*