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What is a meningioma? It is a brain tumor that is formed from the arachnoid epithelial cells. Its Latin name is meningioma. Statistically, meningioma accounts for about 20% of brain tumors in adults, and about 4,5% of cases in children. In most cases, the meningioma is benign.
What are the main causes of meningioma? According to specialists, most diseases may result from genetic conditions. For example, there is a higher incidence in people diagnosed with genetic neurofibromatosis type 2. It happens that meningioma occurs in patients who have had their skull irradiated several times at a young age, in such cases, meningioma appears regardless of age and gender. According to some opinions and studies, meningioma appears more often in women who take steroid hormones for a long time.
Meningioma – symptoms
What are the symptoms of meningioma? It is a tumor that grows very slowly, very often it does not give any symptoms, therefore it is detected by chance. The first symptom that might suggest a tumor is the increase in intracranial pressure. High pressure can cause:
- there may be disturbances of consciousness, which may start with a subtle shade of green, and in an advanced stage, even a coma may appear.
- Growing headaches, appearing most often in the morning and having a bursting nature.
- other symptoms are: nausea, vomiting, bradycardia, congestive shield, seizures.
Symptoms that may suggest that meningioma is developing in the head are primarily the characteristic headaches and seizures, as they appear first. Meningioma can also cause symptoms that are assigned to a specific part of the brain, and thus pressing the tumor may lead to paresis, speech disorders, memory and concentration disorders, and problems with sensation.
If you have persistent and long-lasting specific headaches that cannot be relieved with painkillers, see a doctor immediately, as it is always a disturbing symptom. Meningioma is most often located and develops intracranially, in most diagnosed cases the meningioma is associated with the dura mater. They are often found in the sagittal area as well as in the back of the skull. The meningioma is also diagnosed in the area of the spinal canal. Other locations for this type of tumor are very rare.
Meningioma – prognosis
Meningioma is diagnosed during imaging tests. The main examination that is performed is primarily computed tomography, the supporting examination is magnetic resonance imaging. In some cases, an EEG test is enough to detect a tumor, if it is already larger. An examination that may also reveal the presence of a tumor is a fundus examination and confirmation or exclusion of a papilloedema. The patient may be referred for an angiography examination to assess the tumor’s blood supply routes.
How is meningioma treated? In the event that it does not show symptoms, the patient undergoes an initial examination, assessment of the degree of malignancy of the tumor, and most often no specific treatment is undertaken, but only constant monitoring and possibly symptomatic treatment is ordered. In the advanced stage of the tumor and when the meningioma causes persistent symptoms, it should be completely removed in the neurosurgery department. If the meningioma cannot be completely removed due to its location, for example, and a higher malignancy is found, radiotherapy is required.