15100              MENINGIOMA OF LEFT TEMPORAL RIDGE

The patient was a man aged 68.He had a partial excision of this tumour from the left cerebello-pontine angle 4 years previously. There was some residual ataxia. Nine months later a large right sided retroperitoneal sarcoma was partially resected, but it recurred despite radiotherapy. On his final admission X-ray of the skull showed a translucent area in the petrous temporal bone. He died from the effects of his abdominal tumour.

The specimen consists of the left temporal bone. a large hemispherical meningioma 4 cms in diameter lies astride  the temporal ridge overlying the superior petrosal venous sinus. It has a nodular surface, is very firm and it is intimately attached to the dura mater. Black silk sutures are still visible on the external aspect of the mastoid process. Histology shows a typical whorled fibrous meningioma.