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J Clin Pathol 2004;57:1033-1037 doi:10.1136/jcp.2004.018333
  • Original article

The prognostic value of progesterone receptor status in meningiomas

  1. F Roser1,
  2. M Nakamura2,
  3. M Bellinzona2,
  4. S K Rosahl3,
  5. H Ostertag4,
  6. M Samii5
  1. 1Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
  2. 2Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum Hannover Nordstadt, 30167 Hannover, Germany
  3. 3Department of Neurosurgery, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
  4. 4Institute of Pathology, Klinikum Hannover Nordstadt
  5. 5International Neuroscience Institute, 30625 Hannover, Germany
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr F Roser
 Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler Str.3, 72076, Tübingen, Germany; f.rosergmx.de
  • Accepted 21 April 2004

Abstract

Background: Meningiomas are known to recur frequently, and their longterm management remains controversial. Previous studies indicate that progesterone and its receptors can play a role in the recurrence of meningiomas, but the correlation between the presence of these receptors and patients’ outcome is unclear.

Aim: To conduct a retrospective analysis to investigate the prognostic relevance of progesterone receptor (PR) expression in meningiomas.

Methods: Five hundred and eighty eight meningiomas operated on over a period of 10 years were examined immunohistochemically to determine the PR status using monoclonal antibodies. Several factors including recurrence (mean follow up of 65 month), sex, tumour tissue consistency, location, vascularity, and en plaque appearance were analysed.

Results: PR status showed comparable values for men and women. World Health Organisation (WHO) grade II and III tumours had significantly fewer receptors than benign meningiomas. There was no significant correlation between PR status and recurrence rates in WHO grade I totally removed meningiomas. However, a combination of PR status and proliferation indices was shown to predict recurrence reliably.

Conclusions: Together with routine histological evaluation, PR status can help to describe the biological behaviour of meningiomas. Only a combination of clinical and biological features can describe the behaviour of meningiomas, predict their recurrence, and help to devise more effective follow up strategies.

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