{"title":"Intracranial meningioma: an unusual silent killer—about two cases report and a literature review","authors":"Mohamed Amine Mesrati, Oumeima Brahim, Marwa Boussaid, Rakia Soiniya, Yosra Mahjoub, Nouha Ben Abdeljelil, Atef Ben Ncir, Abdelfattah Zakhama, Abir Aissaoui","doi":"10.1186/s41935-023-00382-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Meningiomas are common benign intracranial tumors, accounting for 1/3 of all primary intracranial neoplasms, and hence, are not considered the chief cause of death when encountered incidentally during autopsy. These tumors are usually slow-growing, and the clinical course may be asymptomatic to the point of acute complications. Sudden unexpected deaths due to meningiomas are exceptional and rarely reported in the literature. In the present report, we describe two autopsy cases of sudden unexpected death due to meningiomas and we discuss the mechanism of death. Two apparently healthy men were discovered dead in their home. A judicial autopsy was ordered. At dissection, a pedunculated firm mass, attached to the dura was found in both cases. Tumors were located in the anterior and middle fossa. The remaining organs were congestive without any abnormality. A microscopic examination confirmed the diagnosis of meningiomas. Postmortem toxicology analysis was negative. Forensic pathologists concluded to sudden unexpected death due to intracranial meningioma. These cases illustrate the possibility of meningioma remaining silent till acute complication and fatal outcome. Therefore, clinicians must bear in mind the possibility, albeit extremely rare, of sudden unexpected death in cases of undiagnosed intracranial meningiomas, as documented in the present report. Thus, we emphasize the value of promptly and thoroughly investigating even seemingly minor neurological symptoms, such as headaches or acute epileptic seizures, in adults. We also stress the importance of the early detection and appropriate management of brain tumors in fatal outcome prevention, and we highlight the role of the post-mortem examination to detect such a fatal complication.","PeriodicalId":11507,"journal":{"name":"Egyptian journal of forensic sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Egyptian journal of forensic sciences","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s41935-023-00382-x","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"MEDICINE, LEGAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Meningiomas are common benign intracranial tumors, accounting for 1/3 of all primary intracranial neoplasms, and hence, are not considered the chief cause of death when encountered incidentally during autopsy. These tumors are usually slow-growing, and the clinical course may be asymptomatic to the point of acute complications. Sudden unexpected deaths due to meningiomas are exceptional and rarely reported in the literature. In the present report, we describe two autopsy cases of sudden unexpected death due to meningiomas and we discuss the mechanism of death. Two apparently healthy men were discovered dead in their home. A judicial autopsy was ordered. At dissection, a pedunculated firm mass, attached to the dura was found in both cases. Tumors were located in the anterior and middle fossa. The remaining organs were congestive without any abnormality. A microscopic examination confirmed the diagnosis of meningiomas. Postmortem toxicology analysis was negative. Forensic pathologists concluded to sudden unexpected death due to intracranial meningioma. These cases illustrate the possibility of meningioma remaining silent till acute complication and fatal outcome. Therefore, clinicians must bear in mind the possibility, albeit extremely rare, of sudden unexpected death in cases of undiagnosed intracranial meningiomas, as documented in the present report. Thus, we emphasize the value of promptly and thoroughly investigating even seemingly minor neurological symptoms, such as headaches or acute epileptic seizures, in adults. We also stress the importance of the early detection and appropriate management of brain tumors in fatal outcome prevention, and we highlight the role of the post-mortem examination to detect such a fatal complication.
期刊介绍:
Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences, the official publication of The International Association of Law and Forensic Sciences (IALFS), is an open access journal that publishes articles in the forensic sciences, pathology and clinical forensic medicine and its related specialities. The journal carries classic reviews, case studies, original research, hypotheses and learning points, offering critical analysis and scientific appraisal.