Further data favouring hormonal dependency of cerebral meningiomas: evidence from a patient treated with cabergoline

Abstract

Objective. To explore the role of cabergoline, a dopamine agonist, in the progression of meningiomas.

Design. Case report.

Setting. Teaching hospital in Barcelona, Spain (Gynecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology Clinical Institute, Hospital Clínic).

Patient(s). Women with a history of meningioma underwent surgery via right pterional craniotomy. During the follow-up, at 18 months after the operation the patient developed a progressive hyperprolactinemia with amenorrhea and galactorrhea. An MR examination revealed a recurrence of the neoplasm.

Intervention(s). Cabergoline treatment.

Main outcome measure(s). Progression of meningioma.

Result(s). Long-standing cabergoline treatment in this patient with meningioma relapse early after surgery and subsequent hyperprolactinemia resulted in absence of progression of the neoplasm many years after the dopamine agonist initiation.

Conclusion(s). These data suggest that cabergoline, a dopamine agonist, had an antiproliferative effect on the growth of meningiomas. Thus, one can hypothesise that the proliferation of cerebral meningiomas may be under dopaminergic control and that dopamine agonists such cabergoline may have a potential role in the medical treatment of patients with meningiomas.

Keywords:

• Meningioma
• sellar lesion
• pituitary tumour
• magnetic resonance imaging
• hyperprolactinemia
• dopamine agonists
• cabergoline

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.