Other probable examples have been discovered in other continents around the world, including North and South America, and Africa.The earliest written record of what was probably a meningioma is from the 1600s, when Felix Plater (1536–1614) of the University of Basel performed an autopsy on Sir Caspar Bonecurtius. Surgery for removal of meningiomata was first attempted in the sixteenth century, but the first known successful surgery for removal of a meningioma of the convexity (parasagittal) was performed in 1770 by Anoine Luis. The first documented successful removal of a skull base meningioma was performed in 1835 by Zanobi Pecchioli, Professor of Surgery at the  University of Siena. Other notable meningioma researchers have been William Macewen (1848–1924), and William W. Keen (1837–1932).Improvements in meningioma research and treatment over the last century have occurred in terms of the surgical techniques for removal of the tumor, and related improvements in anesthesia, antiseptic methods, techniques to control blood loss, better ability to determine which tumors are and are not operable, and to effectively differentiate between the different meningioma subtypes. Notable cases
Leonard Wood (1860–1927), underwent successful surgery by Dr. Harvey Cushing for a meningioma circa 1910, a major advance in neurosurgery at the time. Crystal Lee Sutton (1940–2009), American union organizer and inspiration for the film Norma Rae, died of a malignant meningioma. Elizabeth Taylor (1932–2011), American actress, underwent surgery in February 1997 to remove a benign meningioma. Kathi Goertzen (1958–2012), television news anchor in Seattle who underwent a very public battle with recurring tumors.
Even if, by general rule, neoplasms of the nervous system (brain tumors) cannot metastasize into the body because of the blood–brain barrier, anaplastic meningioma can. Although they are inside the cerebral cavity, they are located on the bloodside of the BBB, because meningiomata tend to be connected to blood vessels. Thus, cancerized cells can escape into the bloodstream, which is why meningiomata, when they metastasize, often turn up around the lungs.Anaplastic meningioma and hemangiopericytoma are difficult to distinguish, even by pathological means, as they look similar, especially, if the first occurrence is a meningeal tumor, and both tumors occur in the same types of tissue.Although usually benign a "petro-clival" menigioma is typically fatal without treatment due to its location. Until the 1970s no treatment was available for this type of meningioma; however, since that time a range of surgical and radiological treatments have evolved. Nevertheless, the treatment of this type of meningioma remains a challenge with relatively frequent poor outcomes. Prevention
The risk of meningioma can be reduced by maintaining a normal body weight, and by avoiding unnecessary dental x-rays. Treatment
Observation
Observation with close imaging follow-up may be used in select cases if a meningioma is small and asymptomatic. In a retrospective study on 43 patients, 63% of patients were found to have no growth on follow-up, and the 37% found to have growth at an average of 4 mm / year. In this study, younger patients were found to have tumors that were more likely to have grown on repeat imaging; thus are poorer candidates for observation.