Meningiomas are the most common, usually benign, intracranial tumors and develop from the meninges – sheaths that cover the brain and spinal cord.
The etiology is unknown, but genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role.
“90% of meningiomas occur within the skull, in various locations both in the convexity and at its base. Sometimes they occur in rare locations, such as within the spinal canal, within the ventricles of the brain, or in the optic nerve. They create symptoms by pressing on sensitive structures of the brain or spinal cord,” points out Mr. Theofilos Mahinis, Neurosurgeon, Director of the 5th Neurosurgery Clinic – Minimally Invasive Brain and Spine Surgery Clinic at Metropolitan General.
What symptoms can meningioma give?
Many patients are asymptomatic. Depending on where the meningioma is located and what is its size, the symptoms also appear. Neurological symptoms are for example seizures, visual disturbances or weakness in the limbs. Some patients may experience mild or severe changes in their personality or mental functioning.
They notice, either themselves or their relatives, that they forget much more easily, that they cannot concentrate, or that they have become apathetic, i.e. without interest or participation in life, or on the contrary that they have become particularly nervous. As the size of the tumor increases, so does the pressure inside the skull. This can lead to persistent headaches, especially at night or in the morning, nausea and eventually vomiting. In some cases, the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid can be obstructed, resulting in hydrocephalus, which also presents with similar symptoms.
What is the treatment of brain meningioma?
Depending on the location of the meningioma, the appropriate treatment is selected. When it is small and does not cause symptoms, monitoring the tumor, usually with MRI, at regular intervals may be sufficient.
“Surgical removal is the treatment of choice in most cases, especially for large or even symptomatic tumors. The goal is the total removal of the meningioma, as it is accompanied by very high cure rates. In some cases, however, as for example in particularly extensive tumors or those that develop in very sensitive structures of the brain, safe total removal may not be possible.
The surgery is performed using neuronavigation, where magnetic and/or computed tomography data are integrated into the 3D imaging of the brain, making it possible to map the exact location of the lesion in the patient’s brain. In this way, the surgery is safer, perfectly targeted and much shorter.
Finally, sometimes we also need radiosurgery or radiation therapy, either when they are small and in very sensitive structures, or postoperatively”, concludes Mr. Mahinis.
Written by:
K. Theofilos Mahinis, Neurosurgeon, Director of the 5th Neurosurgery Clinic – Minimally Invasive Brain and Spine Surgery Clinic Metropolitan General
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