Successful Management of a Foramen Magnum Meningioma that Presented as Recurrent Aspiration Pneumonia and was Associated with COVID-19 Pneumonia with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Case Report.
Keywords:
Foramen magnum, meningioma, Obstructive sleep apnea, Recurrent aspiration pneumonia, COVID-19Abstract
Foramen magnum meningiomas (FMMs) are rare and challenging tumors. We report a case of foramen magnum meningioma in a 49-year-old female who presented with obstructive sleep apnea and suffered from recurrent aspiration pneumonia. She tested positive for COVID-19. A magnetic resonance image (MRI) revealed a ventral foramen magnum mass lesion that measured 33 mm in diameter, causing a significant pressure effect on the medulla oblongata. After her pneumonia improved, a far lateral retrocondylar approach provided a safe surgical plane for the total excision of this tumor. The pathologic analysis revealed a WHO-grade-I meningioma. Rarely, FMM-compressed medulla oblongata can present with obstructive sleep apnea and recurrent aspiration pneumonia. We successfully removed the entire FMM, resolving her obstructive sleep apnea and recurrent aspiration pneumonia.
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