Primary clear cell meningioma of the orbit mimicking a metastatic carcinoma: usefulness of immunohistochemistry and cytogenetic analysis

Clear cell meningiomas (CCM) are rare tumors of the nervous system that usually occur in young patients and display high recurrence rates and potentially aggressive behavior. In this report, we describe a primary CCM of the orbit in an 84-year-old man with a previous history of a clear cell carcinoma of the kidney. Histologically, the tumor demonstrated a sheet-like proliferation of clear polygonal cells. Differential diagnosis includes metastasis of clear cell carcinomas. Immunohistochemistry, by showing that tumor cells expressed vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen, and progesterone antigens, and cytogenetic analysis, by identifying a monosomy 22, confirmed the diagnosis of CCM.