Background: Skull base Meningiomas are considered of the most common occurring Meningiomas. Because of their rich blood supply, safe and total excision represents a challenge for neurosurgeons. Preoperative embolization is one of the lines that used to control the tumor bleeding during resection.
Aim: this study aims to study the effect of preoperative embolization on the skull base meningioma surgeries
Patients and method: 20 patients diagnosed with various types of skull base Meningiomas had underwent preoperative embolization of the feeding arteries to achieve the angiographic absence of tumor blush. 2 days later after embolization, each patient underwent surgical resection of the tumor. Intraoperative findings, operative time, operative blood loss, extent of resection, and postoperative events were documented and analyzed.
Results: Average blood loss was 262±62.79 ml, the mean operative time was 254.5±32.03 minutes. Simpson grade 1 was achieved in 5 cases (25%), grade 2 in 9 cases (45%), and grade 3 in 6 cases (30%). Neither embolization nor surgery related morbidities or mortalities were reported.
Conclusions: preoperative embolization is a safe option for selected Meningiomas to minimize the operative blood loss and facilitate the tumor resection.