# Case Report: Pathological confirmation and aggressive postoperative recurrence of WHO grade III rhabdoid meningioma

## TL;DR

A rare aggressive brain tumor called rhabdoid meningioma was misdiagnosed and led to rapid recurrence and death despite surgery.

## Contribution

This case report confirms the aggressive nature of rhabdoid meningioma and emphasizes the need for immediate postoperative treatment.

## Key findings

- Rhabdoid meningioma was misdiagnosed as WHO grade II meningioma preoperatively.
- The tumor recurred rapidly after surgery, leading to the patient's death.
- The case underscores the importance of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy after surgery.

## Abstract

Rhabdoid meningioma (RM), a rare WHO grade III meningioma subtype, features high invasiveness, poor prognosis, and no effective therapies, often being misdiagnosed with other intracranial tumors clinically, such as brain metastases and WHO grade II meningiomas. We report a 39-year-old female admitted for 6-month headaches. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-circumscribed, heterogeneously enhancing tumor with severe peritumoral edema in the right temporal lobe, initially suspected to be a WHO grade II meningioma; RM was confirmed postoperatively. The tumor recurred 1 month after the first surgery, and the patient died of intracranial hypertension 1 month after the reoperation. This case highlights the need for immediate adjuvant chemoradiotherapy postoperatively.