The significance of early postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for meningioma resection has not yet been evaluated. We retrospectively reviewed patients with intracranial meningiomas resected at our institute between 2011 and 2021. Early postoperative MRI with contrast enhancement was routinely performed within 48 h after surgery while first follow-up MRI was performed approximately after 6 months. MRI findings were reviewed, and the risk factors for postoperative infarction and early recurrence were analyzed. Among the 245 resections performed, early postoperative MRI was performed in 200 cases. Postoperative radiological and symptomatic infarctions occurred in 54 (27%) and 17 patients (9%), respectively. Diameter > 5 cm (p = 0.015) and skull base location (p = 0.010) were independent risk factors for radiological infarctions. Follow-up postoperative MRI performed in 180 patients (90%) detected early recurrence in 24 patients (13%). Non-gross total resection was an independent risk factor for early recurrence (p < 0.0001). Additionally, early recurrence after gross total resection occurred significantly more frequently in meningiomas with dural sinus involvement than in those without (8.3% vs. 0%, p = 0.018). Thus, early postoperative MRI may enable the timely assessment of postoperative neurological deficits, especially after large skull base meningioma resections along with accurate detection of early recurrence, which is critical for meningiomas with dural sinus involvement.
Keywords: MRI; meningioma; postoperative.