Chordoid meningioma: rare variant of meningioma

Abstract

Chordoid meningioma is a rare variant of meningioma that bears a striking histological resemblance to chordoma and has greater likelihood of recurrence. Although most meningiomas occur in the intracranial, orbital and intravertebral cavities, rare meningiomas have been reported in extracranial organs; thus, it is important to be able to distinguish them from other neoplasms that have similar histology but different biological behavior and therapies. A case of chordoid meningioma in a 48-year-old woman who did not have Castleman's syndrome is described in the present report. The patient presented with a mass in her left frontoparietal region, and had been suffering from headaches for many years. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain demonstrated an expansive lytic lesion in the squamous portion of the left temporal bone. The lesion extended in both directions. Histological examination of the surgical specimen revealed a tumor composed of cords and nests of eosinophilic vacuolated cells embedded in a myxoid matrix. A typical meningiomatous pattern was observed focally, and positive staining of the tumor cells for vimentin and epithelial membrane antigen confirmed the diagnosis of chordoid meningioma.