meningioma: brain pathology treatment

When symptoms occur, it is advisable to see a Neurosurgeon who performs an assessment and neurological examination

Meningiomas are benign tumors which originate from one of the covers of the brain, specifically from the dura mater. They are more frequent in women than in men, their age of presentation is generally between 40 and 70 years. The causes are genetic (predisposition) but there is also a direct relationship with the level of female hormones, mainly estrogen. The location of the tumor can be in any part of the skull, being more common in the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital regions.

There are also meningiomas found in the posterior fossa, which compress the cerebellar hemispheres and the brain stem. These require care and surgical management supported by state-of-the-art technology.

Symptoms and treatment options

Meningiomas initially present small tumors and may not cause symptoms. Depending on its size, the symptoms may begin with headaches (headaches), seizures, loss of strength in some extremity, loss of sensitivity, language disturbances, or visual disturbances if the tumor is very large. The alterations that the patient presents in his neurological state may be irreversible despite removing the tumor and, in some cases, the removal may be incomplete because it involves important areas in brain function. 

When a patient presents symptoms, it is advisable to see a specialist, in this case preferably a Neurosurgeon, who will make the neurological assessment and examination to determine which studies should be carried out and thus rule out the presence of a meningioma. If there is the presence of a meningioma, the treatment is surgical and the type of surgery will depend on its size and location.

In exceptional cases, treatment will only be symptomatic (analgesics) and the size of the meningioma will be monitored. It must be taken into account that these tumors do not grow rapidly, therefore in some cases their evolution can be monitored.