Meningiomas usually are benign intracranial tumors. However, some recur despite gross total resection, invade surrounding structures, or, rarely, metastasize. Reduced expression of the nonspecific tissue-type alkaline phosphatase (Pal) has been reported in high-grade meningiomas. To search for a predictor for recurrence, we studied Pal expression by histoenzymology in a series of 54 meningiomas with gross total removal. Pal expression was mostly altered in grades II and III meningiomas (P = .000014) and meningiomas with high MIB-1 values (P = .001). Pal expression correlated with cytogenetic data (P = .000033) and with recurrence (P = .0064); all tumors that recurred had abnormal Pal expression (13/13). In univariate analysis, Pal expression was the only variable correlated with recurrence-free survival (P = .035). Histochemical detection of Pal is a useful, easy, and low-cost technique to predict recurrence in meningiomas.
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