Mean Oedema Index in Intracranial Supratentorial Meningiomas: Influence of Location

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Peritumoural brain oedema (PTBOe) is a common feature of intracranial supratentorial meningiomas, potentially complicating surgical management and affecting prognosis. The influence of tumour location on the severity of PTBOe remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the mean oedema index and its relationship with tumour location in patients with supratentorial meningiomas. Methods & Materials: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 34 patients with WHO Grade I supratentorial meningiomas who underwent surgical resection. Clinical, neurological, and radiological data were collected, and tumour and oedema volumes were measured from CT scans to calculate the oedema index. Tumours were classified into six locations: frontobasal, temporobasal, convexity, falcine and parasagittal, sphenoid wing, and suprasellar. One-way ANOVA was used to compare mean oedema indices among different tumour locations. Results: The mean age of patients was 38.5 ± 14.2 years, with females comprising 58.8%. Headache (97.1%), vomiting (58.8%), and convulsions (58.8%) were the most common presenting complaints. Cranial nerve involvement was observed in 70.6% of patients. Convexity meningiomas were most frequent (44.1%), followed by frontobasal (14.7%) and temporobasal (11.8%) locations. Mean oedema indices were highest for temporobasal (3.29) and frontobasal (3.18) meningiomas and lowest for sphenoid wing meningiomas (2.23). One-way ANOVA revealed no statistically significant difference in mean oedema index among tumour locations (F = 0.50, P = 0.774). Conclusion: The severity of peritumoural brain oedema in supratentorial meningiomas was not significantly influenced by tumour location. High-resolution CT imaging is recommended for accurate assessment of tumour and oedema volumes to guide preoperative planning and symptomatic management.