Intracranial Hemangiopericytoma: Study of 12 Cases (original) (raw)

Most hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are located in the musculoskeletal system and the skin, while the intracranial location is rare. They represent 2 to 4% in large series of meningeal tumours, thus accounting for less than 1% of all intracranial tumours. Many authors have argued about the true origin of this tumour. The current World Health Organization classi®cation of Central Nervous System tumours distinguishes HPC as an entity of its own, and classi®ed it into the group of``mesenchymal, non-meningothelial tumours''. Radical surgery is the treatment of choice, but must be completed with postoperative radiotherapy, which has proved to be the therapy most strongly related to the ®nal prognosis. HPCs have a relentless tendency for local recurrence and metastases outside the central nervous system which can appear even many years after diagnosis and adequate treatment of the primary tumour.