Cystic meningioma: neuroradiological (MRI, CT) and macroscopic intraoperative appearance. A case report.

Differential diagnosis of intracranial cystic meningiomas may present difficulties in about 10-15% of cases where anatomo-pathological alterations such as intratumoral necrosis, cystic cavity, hemorrhage or lipomatous infiltration are present. These alterations are responsible for an unusual radiological appearance which may suggest a false diagnosis. We describe a case of meningioma with a cystic appearance in which MRI was more helpful than CT, because it suggested an extra-axial meningiomatous lesion and thus allowed more precise surgical planning.