Meningiomas with brain edema: radiological characteristics on MRI and review of the literature

OBJECT: Despite their benign characteristics, meningiomas are often accompanied by perifocal brain edema. The aims of this study are to determine what kind of characteristics on magnetic resonance (MR) image are indicative of a meningioma that produces brain edema and to investigate the mechanism responsible for brain edema accompanying meningiomas. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with meningioma were examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and tumor size, tumor location, shape of tumor margin, peritumoral rim, and signal intensity of tumor on T2-weighted image (T2WI) were compared and correlated with the presence versus absence of brain edema. Surgical histopathology was also examined and correlated with the MRI findings and brain edema. RESULTS: Shape of tumor margin, peritumoral rim, and signal intensity of tumor on T2WI correlated with brain edema on multivariate analyses. CONCLUSION: Invasive pattern of brain-tumor interface and hyperintensity on T2WI were indicative factors of meningiomas producing brain edema.