Clinical presentation, diagnostic findings and outcome of dogs undergoing surgical resection for intracranial meningioma: 101 dogs

BACKGROUND: Meningioma is the most common primary brain neoplasm in dogs. Further information is required regarding the expected long-term prognosis of dogs following the surgical resection of an intracranial meningioma together with the influence of adjunctive therapies. Whilst there have been several studies reporting the long-term outcome of intracranial meningioma resection following surgery alone, surgery with the use of an ultrasonic aspirator, surgery combined with radiotherapy and surgery combined with the addition of hydroxyurea, it is currently unclear which type of adjunctive therapy is associated with the most favourable outcomes. The objective of this study is to describe the presentation and outcome of dogs undergoing surgery for the resection of an intracranial meningioma and the effect of clinical factors, adjunctive therapies and meningioma histopathological subtype on the long-term outcome. RESULTS: A hundred and one dogs that had intracranial surgery for meningioma resection were investigated from four referral centres. 94% of dogs survived to hospital discharge with a median survival time of 386 days. Approximately 50% of dogs survived for less than a year, 25% survived between 1 and 2 years, 15% survived between 2 and 3 years and 10% survived for greater than 3 years following discharge from hospital. One or more adjunctive therapies were used in 75 dogs and the analysis of the data did not reveal a clear benefit of a specific type of adjunctive therapy. Those dogs that had a transfrontal approach had a significantly reduced survival time (MST 184 days) compared to those dogs that had a rostrotentorial approach (MST 646 days; p < 0.05). There was no association between meningioma subtype and survival time. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not identify a clear benefit of a specific type of adjunctive therapy on the survival time. Dogs that had a transfrontal approach had a significantly reduced survival time. Intracranial surgery for meningioma resection offers an excellent prognosis for survival to discharge from hospital with a median long term survival time of 386 days.