Meningiomas

Music and Lyrics by Arie Perry, M.D.

From the surface of the brain and the arachnoidal membrane
Grows a dural neoplasm, meningioma is its name
As a tumor of adults, with sharp margins and slow growth,
It may require the gamma knife, or surgery alone


CHORUS:
Though most are low-grade, with a bland histology
There’s an aggressive subset, with significant morbidity
Atypical meningiomas, recur quite frequently
Anaplastic cases have a high mortality


On neuroimaging exams, they’re extra-axial in locale
with a classic dural tail, where the enhancement leaves a trail
Hyperostosis of adjacent bone, implies invasion where the tumor’s grown
It’s seen commonly in NF2, and there’s often a female skew

CHORUS

With a wide morphologic range, the differential may seem strange
but with the histologic grade, predictions may be made
The cases graded as atypical have a distinct proclivity
To display brain invasion or mitotic activity

CHORUS

Aggressive variants include grades II and III
with atypical, clear cell, and chordoid in the grade II category
High-grade malignancy corresponds to grade III
They include anaplastic, rhabdoid, and papillary

CHORUS

A common tumor from the surface of the brain, meningioma is it’s name