Preoperative meningioma vascularity index is associated with significantly increased intraoperative blood loss and greater risk of subtotal resection.

OBJECTIVE

Surgical recovery of meningiomas relies on a variety of factors, including tumor volume, vascularity, embolization status, and blood loss during excision. Although hypervascular meningiomas can potentially be amendable to embolization, methods for determining optimal vascularity for this procedure are currently lacking. Our group previously established the meningioma vascularity index (MVI) as a marker of tumor vascularity. In this study, we aim to build on our previous work and further examine the relationship between MVI and intraoperative estimated blood loss (EBL).

METHODS

A retrospective data extraction was conducted between August 2010 and October 2019 from patients undergoing craniotomy for meningioma. Of the 85 intracranial meningiomas included, 39 were embolized. Demographic data, extent of resection, embolization status, and EBL were among the extracted variables. Flow void volumes were measured on T2-weighted MRI images using a segmentation software with a voxel-based segmentation method.

RESULTS

MVI was a predictor of EBL within the entire cohort, when controlling for tumor volume (R adjusted = 0.26; P = 0.027). A high MVI (> 2.01 cm) was associated with higher likelihood of receiving subtotal resection (STR) (OR 4.07, 95% CI 1.17-14.15; P = 0.035). Although the mean MVI and tumor volume were higher in the embolized cohort (P = 0.009 and P = 0.005), there were no significant differences in EBL, or blood transfusion rates regardless of embolization status.

CONCLUSIONS

MVI may be used as a non-invasive radiological marker to gauge meningioma vascularity, predict EBL, and guide the decision-making process when it comes to embolization and surgical planning.