Pathophysiology of malignant meningiomas

Although most meningiomas are benign and are treated with surgery alone, a few are malignant and can be difficult to treat. These more aggressive tumors were first characterized by their histology. With advances in molecular biology, we have learned a great deal about the development of these tumors. Cytogenetic studies have shown that benign meningiomas have mutations in chromosome 22. Further studies show that the NF2 gene, located on chromosome 22, is involved in meningioma formation. More aggressive tumors have been shown to have several mutations in other chromosomes, including chromosome 1p, 14q, and 18q. Here, we review these findings and the candidate genes involved in meningioma tumorigenesis.