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- What Is Meningioma & Does It Need Treating With No Symptoms?
What Is Meningioma & Does It Need Treating With No Symptoms?
With many brain tumours, growths and lesions, placement can be the difference between a tumour that is so inconspicuous and harmless that it may never even be spotted let alone need treatment, and one that may require surgical intervention sooner rather than later.
A good example of this is meningioma, a typically benign tumour that can vary in severity from only being spotted after an autopsy to being potentially life-threatening, although it is far more likely to be the former than the latter.
Here is a brief guide to meningioma, its most common treatments and whether it needs treating at all.
The meninges is also the namesake of the inflammatory disease meningitis, a viral/bacterial infection that can be life-threatening if not treated, particularly if contracted by babies and young children.
Meningioma, by contrast, often has a much better prognosis than meningitis, in part because whilst it is one of the most common forms of brain tumours diagnosed in the UK according to Cancer Research UK, it is significantly more likely to be benign than harmful.
According to one study, 92 per cent of meningiomas are benign (WHO Grade 1), with only 8 per cent being either atypical (WHO Grade 2) or malignant (WHO Grade 3).
Many meningioma tumours form extremely slowly and never cause symptoms throughout the life of the person who has it. It is not uncommon for small meningiomas to be found during autopsies.
The symptoms it can cause are largely based on location and size and can vary significantly in both type and severity.
Larger tumours that press down on the cerebrum can cause seizures, whilst tumours in other locations can cause double vision, painful migraine headaches, hearing loss or tinnitus, loss of sense of smell, loss of memory, difficulty speaking, and muscle weaknesses most commonly seen in the arms or legs.
It can sometimes cause intracranial pressure, which can cause pain, discomfort and other side effects, but this is not as common a symptom as it would be for gliomas.
A notable exception where position is more of an issue than size is with tumours deep in the base of the skull, commonly known as petroclival meningioma.
This is because it is located very closely to major blood vessels, the brainstem and cranial nerves, so it takes far less growth to cause more serious symptoms.
Its causes are also not completely understood, with radiation exposure, body fat percentage and neurofibromatosis type 2 all being linked in some studies, with other causes being linked to genetics.
Whilst not a universal rule, if you are suddenly getting seizures, suddenly struggle with your memory or are suffering from blurred or double vision without any prior symptoms to explain any of these, seek care as soon as possible.
Typically, meningiomas are found during routine scans, often found during CT and MRI scans using contrast injections or through lumbar punctures.
If there are no symptoms, it can very much depend on how quickly it is growing and if it is likely to cause problems in the immediate future.
With the most common forms of meningioma, it can take years to have any sort of effect on the brain, and in some cases, it is never spotted. It never grows large enough to cause a problem.
When treatment is needed, the actual course of treatment will depend on the placement and size of the tumour.
It will typically be treated with either surgery, precise radiotherapy or a combination of the two to reduce the size of the tumour to make it easier to remove or destroy any remnants after the surgery is completed.
Chemotherapy is seldom used because meningiomas have historically not been as effective at treating these tumours compared with others, but there are cases where certain types of chemotherapy such as bevacizumab have been more successful, particularly when a tumour has recurred.
It is a very treatable condition, with stereotactic radiosurgery, in particular, being highly effective for smaller tumours or tumours that cannot be operated on using conventional neurosurgery.
A brain tumour can be a concerning diagnosis, but your specialist doctor will let you know if any treatment is needed for it. In many cases, little more than active monitoring is needed to ensure that it does not cause harm in the future.
A good example of this is meningioma, a typically benign tumour that can vary in severity from only being spotted after an autopsy to being potentially life-threatening, although it is far more likely to be the former than the latter.
Here is a brief guide to meningioma, its most common treatments and whether it needs treating at all.
What Is Meningioma?
A meningioma is a tumour that grows out from the meninges, the three membrane layers (pia mater, arachnoid, dura mater) that protect the spinal cord and the brain using cerebrospinal fluid.The meninges is also the namesake of the inflammatory disease meningitis, a viral/bacterial infection that can be life-threatening if not treated, particularly if contracted by babies and young children.
Meningioma, by contrast, often has a much better prognosis than meningitis, in part because whilst it is one of the most common forms of brain tumours diagnosed in the UK according to Cancer Research UK, it is significantly more likely to be benign than harmful.
According to one study, 92 per cent of meningiomas are benign (WHO Grade 1), with only 8 per cent being either atypical (WHO Grade 2) or malignant (WHO Grade 3).
Many meningioma tumours form extremely slowly and never cause symptoms throughout the life of the person who has it. It is not uncommon for small meningiomas to be found during autopsies.
The symptoms it can cause are largely based on location and size and can vary significantly in both type and severity.
Larger tumours that press down on the cerebrum can cause seizures, whilst tumours in other locations can cause double vision, painful migraine headaches, hearing loss or tinnitus, loss of sense of smell, loss of memory, difficulty speaking, and muscle weaknesses most commonly seen in the arms or legs.
It can sometimes cause intracranial pressure, which can cause pain, discomfort and other side effects, but this is not as common a symptom as it would be for gliomas.
A notable exception where position is more of an issue than size is with tumours deep in the base of the skull, commonly known as petroclival meningioma.
This is because it is located very closely to major blood vessels, the brainstem and cranial nerves, so it takes far less growth to cause more serious symptoms.
Its causes are also not completely understood, with radiation exposure, body fat percentage and neurofibromatosis type 2 all being linked in some studies, with other causes being linked to genetics.
Whilst not a universal rule, if you are suddenly getting seizures, suddenly struggle with your memory or are suffering from blurred or double vision without any prior symptoms to explain any of these, seek care as soon as possible.
Typically, meningiomas are found during routine scans, often found during CT and MRI scans using contrast injections or through lumbar punctures.
Does It Need Treating?
If a meningioma case has symptoms, however minor, it is going to need treatment, as it suggests that the tumour is causing issues in the brain that could potentially escalate.If there are no symptoms, it can very much depend on how quickly it is growing and if it is likely to cause problems in the immediate future.
With the most common forms of meningioma, it can take years to have any sort of effect on the brain, and in some cases, it is never spotted. It never grows large enough to cause a problem.
When treatment is needed, the actual course of treatment will depend on the placement and size of the tumour.
It will typically be treated with either surgery, precise radiotherapy or a combination of the two to reduce the size of the tumour to make it easier to remove or destroy any remnants after the surgery is completed.
Chemotherapy is seldom used because meningiomas have historically not been as effective at treating these tumours compared with others, but there are cases where certain types of chemotherapy such as bevacizumab have been more successful, particularly when a tumour has recurred.
It is a very treatable condition, with stereotactic radiosurgery, in particular, being highly effective for smaller tumours or tumours that cannot be operated on using conventional neurosurgery.
A brain tumour can be a concerning diagnosis, but your specialist doctor will let you know if any treatment is needed for it. In many cases, little more than active monitoring is needed to ensure that it does not cause harm in the future.
