Clinical features and surgical management of intracranial meningiomas in the elderly.

Meningioma accounts for ~25% of all primary intracranial neoplasms and the incidence increases with age. Prvios population-based studies demonstrated that the annual incidence of intracranial meningiomas was 1.2-3.1/100,000 population. In particular, the incidence of this disease among the elderly is high. Recently, increased life expectancy and greater use of diagnostic radiological imaging led to an increased incidence in the diagnosis of intracranial meningiomas, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, in the elderly. Thus, neurosurgeons may be increasingly confronted with the management of intracranial meningiomas in the elderly. In practice, it is often difficult for physicians to determine whether traditional surgical resection is the optimal management strategy for intracranial meningiomas in the elderly. However, reported clinical studies about the outcome of surgical resection of intracranial meningiomas in the elderly are limited. Increased risk of mortality and morbidity associated with surgical treatment for intracranial meningiomas in the elderly compared with younger patients have been controversial. In the present study, the clinical features of intracranial meningiomas in 70 consecutive intracranial meningioma patients that underwent surgical treatment at the affiliated hospital of University of Occupational and Environmental Health between 2007 and 2013 were assessed. In addition, patient selection and surgical management of intracranial meningioma in elderly patients was discussed. Preoperative factors, including symptoms, tumor location, tumor size, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score and American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score, and postoperative factors, including pathological diagnosis, tumor proliferation index (Ki-67), resection rate (Simpson grade), length of hospital stay and discharge destination were retrospectively analyzed in patients aged ≥75 years (n=16; elderly group) and <75 years (n=54; younger group). Outcomes were assessed 6 months after surgery. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that tumor resection rate (Simpson grade III-V) was an important predictor of surgical complications (odds ratio, 5.662; 95% confidence interval, 1.323-24.236; P=0.0194). Perioperative morbidity was not correlated with age (>75 years), tumor location, tumor size, KPS score or ASA score. Thus, the present study indicated that age is not associated with surgical outcome in elderly meningioma patients. Regardless of patient age, the decision to perform surgical resection should be made on an individual basis wherein tumor characteristics and the general health of the patient are considered.