Large Transcalvarial Meningioma: Surgical Resection Aided by Preoperative Embolization

Meningiomas are the most common type of primary brain tumors, accounting for about 30% of all brain tumors. Meningiomas originate from the meninges and can be associated with any part of the skull. Classification of meningiomas is based upon the World Health Organization (WHO) classification system and prognosis of meningiomas can be determined via histologic grading. Surgery is the gold standard treatment option for all types of meningiomas. Due to the high vascularity of some meningiomas, surgical resection can lead to certain complications including intraoperative blood loss and hemorrhage. Strategies for complication avoidance include preoperative embolization of the meningioma vascular supply. Preoperative embolization has been shown to assist in surgical resection of selected tumors and decrease intraoperative blood loss. We present a case of successful preoperative embolization for a large, complex, transcalvarial meningioma along with a literature review on this topic.