Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dural hemangiomas are a relatively rare form of intracranial mass, as hemangiomas tend to present in bone or as intraparenchymal lesions and only around 5%-13% have been reported to originate from the dura mater. Here, the authors present the case of a 46-year-old female who underwent craniotomy for a suspected convexity meningioma resection, which was unexpectedly found to be a dural capillary hemangioma. OBSERVATIONS: The patient was a 46-year-old female who presented with a left frontal intracranial mass found incidentally and showed significant growth over 4 years. The mass was suspected to be a meningioma as it was homogeneously enhancing, extra-axial, and exhibited findings of a broad base with a dural tail along the dura of the superior frontal lobe. This was excised en bloc and found to be a purplish-red mass firmly attached to the dura, which was diagnosed as a capillary hemangioma on histopathology. LESSONS: Dural hemangiomas, particularly at the convexity, are quite rare and can mimic meningiomas on imaging, sometimes even demonstrating homogeneous enhancement with a broad base and dural tail. These are an important part of the differential diagnosis when diagnosing dural-based masses and should be considered when planning operative or radiation treatment. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24476.