Experience with 5-Aminolevulinic Acid in Fluorescence-Guided Resection of a Deep Sylvian Meningioma

The 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-induced tumor fluorescence is a useful intraoperative marker for the diagnosis and the detection of various malignancies, but its use in meningioma is only reported infrequently. In meningioma, a complete resection of the tumor mass is crucial for the prevention of recurrence and postoperative morbidities. Deep sylvian meningioma is a rare type of meningioma where complete tumor removal is complicated by its deep anatomical location and close involvement with the middle cerebral artery. From our experience, 5-ALA-mediated fluorescence facilitated a safe excision whilst preserving critical neurovascular structures. To our best knowledge, this is first report from use of 5-ALA in a deep sylvian meningioma.

A Subcortical Anaplastic Meningioma

Meningioma without dural attachment usually occurs in the intraventricular region, the pineal region, and the sylvian fissure. However, subcortical meningioma located far from such locations is extremely rare. The authors report a case of subcortical anaplastic meningioma without any dural attachment in a 41-year-old woman.