Incidental pediatric intraparenchymal meningioma: illustrative case

BACKGROUND Meningiomas are the most common benign tumors among CNS neoplasms. In the pediatric population, however, they account for only 0.4%–4.6% of all intracranial neoplasms; they are rare inside the brain parenchyma and are frequently confused with other entities, such as glioneuronal tumors and cavernomas, among others. OBSERVATIONS The authors describe the case of a 4-year-old male who presented to the emergency department for evaluation of periorbital cellulitis and was incidentally diagnosed with a brain tumor. MRI demonstrated an expansive heterogeneous lesion, 2.2 × 1.9 × 1.8 cm, in the left lingual gyrus. Spectroscopy and perfusion imaging suggested a low-grade glioneuronal tumor. After thorough discussion, the family and medical team elected to pursue surgical treatment. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery, and subsequent pathological and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis of a fibrous meningioma (WHO grade 1). LESSONS Intraparenchymal meningiomas are a rare and misdiagnosed tumor, especially in the pediatric age group, and therefore are not usually considered in the differential diagnosis of intra-axial neoplasms in children. When suspected, surgery may be encouraged due to the tendency of these tumors to exhibit more aggressive behavior compared with adult meningiomas. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24611