Tumor of meningioma
Tumor of the meninges ( meningioma)
| Location | MRI Image | Common Symptoms |
| Convexity (on the surface of the brain away from the midline) |  |
Seizures, headache, extremity weakness, difficulty speaking, visual field deficit. |
| Parafalcine (arising the meningeal layer between the hemispheres of the brain) |  |
Seizures, lower extremity weakness, headache, personality changes, dementia, increasing apathy, flattening of affect, unsteadiness, tremor. |
| Sphenoid Ridge |  |
Eye-bulging, decreased vision, paralysis of eye movement, seizures, memory difficulty, personality change, headache. |
| Posterior Fossa (area where the cerebellum is) |  |
Unsteadiness and incoordination, hydrocephalus (increased pressure inside the brain), voice and swallowing difficulties. |
| Cerebellopontine angle (on the side of the brainstem) |  |
Loss of hearing. Facial muscle weakness. Dizziness. Unsteadiness and incoordination, hydrocephalus (increased pressure inside the brain), voice and swallowing difficulties. |
| Olfactory Groove and sella (bony space where the pituitary gland is situated) |  |
Loss of smell (anosmia), subtle personality changes, mild difficulty with memory, euphoria, diminished concentration, urinary incontinence, visual impairment. |
| Optic Sheath | Decreased vision in one eye. | |
| Other | Variable depending on location. |
Diagnosis
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans effectively detect most meningiomas and are best at displaying details of the brain.
- Sometimes a CT scan is obtained to evaluate whether there is any bone (skull) involvement, or if the tumor is calcified.
Treatment
The decision of whether to, and how best to, treat a meningioma is based on multiple factors, including size and location of the tumor, symptoms, growth rate, and age of the patient (among others). In general, there are three basic options: observation, surgical removal, and radiation.
- Observation: Meningiomas are often slow growing, increasing in size only 1-2 mm per year. Repeating yearly MRI scans may be appropriate in the following situations:
- Patients with small tumors and mild or minimal symptoms, no impact on quality of life, and little or no swelling in adjacent brain areas.
- Older patients with very slowly progressing symptoms. Related seizures can be controlled with medication.
- Surgery: Meningioma surgery varies from relatively straightforward to highly complex, sometimes requiring multiple surgeons from different specialties.
Sources: http://neurosurgery.ucla.edu/