Meningioma
What is a meningioma?
A meningioma is type of brain tumour. It is a tumour of the meninges, which are the protective membranes that surround the brain and spine, and therefore lie on the surface of the brain rather in the tissue itself.
Meningiomas are considered benign tumours, this means that they are not cancerous and therefore do not spread to other parts of the body. They are generally slow growing and can often reach a quite a large size before they are diagnosed. However, they can grow more rapidly or have growth spurts thus making it difficult to predict how fast they will grow. A meningioma can still cause damage to the brain even though it is benign. This is because the brain is encased in the skull and has very little space around it, as the tumour grows, the pressure can build up and squash the brain.
There is no known cause of meningiomas but certain conditions and situations are associated with an increased risk:
- Some genetic disorders, for example, Neurofibromatosis type 2.
- In people who have had radiation therapy to the head.
- Exposure to female hormones and breast cancer.
Contents
- What is a meningioma?
- Symptoms of a meningioma
- Different types of meningioma
- Diagnosis and treatment
- Outcome
