Solitary subdural osteomas: Systematic review of the literature with an illustrative case

BACKGROUND: Subdural osteomas represent an extremely rare entity with only 20 cases described to date. Despite the typical benign behavior, these tumors can grow to compress the brain and occasionally detach from the dura mater. METHODS: A systematic search of the literature was performed in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. After screening for duplicates, 179 publications met the eligibility criteria. Finally, 18 manuscripts were included in this review. Moreover, a detailed description of an illustrative case is provided. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 43.2 years, showing a female prevalence. The inner table of the frontal bone was reported as the most frequent location, and in six cases, the lesions did not show any relation with the dura, which appeared intact. Surgical resection appears to be an effective and safe management option. In the present work, the case of a 60-year-old female who presented with persistent, diffuse headaches which had first occurred 6 months earlier is described. On admission, the physical and neurological examinations were unremarkable, and her medical history disclosed no systemic disease, meningitis, or head injury. Computed tomography showed a homogeneous, high-density nodule attached to the inner table of the left middle cranial fossa. CONCLUSION: In addition to an in-depth case description, the first systematic and qualitative review of the literature on intracranial subdural osteomas using the PRISMA is provided.