Planum sphenoidale meningioma outcome

Like most meningiomas, meningiomas of the anterior cranial base are typically benign and potentially curable. Thus, the extent of surgical resection is the most important predictor of recurrence.

Despite the benign pathology, their recurrence rates 10 years after surgical resection have ranged from 10 to 41%.

These high rates have been attributed to the difficulty in removing the tumor cells that invade the base of skull and paranasal sinuses.

It is well known that it is difficult to remove the planum sphenoidale without damaging the optic nerves. The visual outcome after this operation has been unacceptable in such tumors, especially in large ones.