A pregnant female with a large intracranial mass: Reviewing the evidence to obtain management guidelines for intracranial meningiomas during pregnancy

INTRODUCTION: Non-obstetric surgery for intracranial meningioma is uncommon during pregnancy and poses significant risks to both the mother and the fetus. We present a case of a parturient that presented with acute mental status changes and we illustrate the decision making process that resulted in a best-possible outcome. CASE DESCRIPTION: A woman at 29-week gestation presented with acute language and speech deficits and deteriorating mental status after 2 weeks of headache. Imaging demonstrated a large intracranial mass. A multidisciplinary meeting was held to determine the best treatment plan. The decision was to proceed with caesarean delivery under epidural anesthesia to allow intraoperative monitoring of neurological function. Six hours after successful delivery, the patient had acute mental status changes and she was taken to the operating room immediately for resection of her tumor, which turned out to be a clear cell meningioma. DISCUSSION: Cerebral meningioma is usually a slow-growing tumor; however, during pregnancy, the mass may expand rapidly due to hormonal receptor expression. The presentation of this patient would have normally led to urgent resection of the mass. But the complicating factor was her 29-week pregnancy as standard intraoperative treatment during neurosurgery is known to adversely affect the fetus. A multidisciplinary meeting was critical for this patient's care, and is recommended by us when treating such patients.