Meningioma: Everything you need to know about this brain tumor

Current woman article of April 29, 2020

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Meningioma is a cerebral tumor most often benign. Slowly evolution, it does not always require surgery. What are the symptoms, how is the diagnosis established and what are the treatments? We take stock.

What is a meningioma?

Meningioma is a non-cancerous tumor that develops in the meninges, membranes that protect the central nervous system and are made up of three layers: the dura, the arachnoid and the pie-mother. This is the most common type of primitive brain tumor, representing 30 % of all brain tumors .

Causes of meningioma and risk factors

It is difficult to explain the occurrence of a meningioma . Certain risk factors have however been observed by researchers, including: anterior treatment of the head by radiotherapy , family history, and therefore a genetic factor, hormonal treatment such as the Androcur D have a recent study has shown that it considerably multiplied the risk of presenting a meningioma for the women who used it for a long time.

The classification of meningiomas

It is the analysis of a sample of the tumor which will make it possible to determine its grade, and therefore to adapt the treatment accordingly. In the case of meningioma, there are three grades.

• Grade 1 : It corresponds to the “mild” meningiomas ( addition of amavea: the term benin is only in opposition to “clever” therefore non -cancerous ) whose growth is slow. This type of tumor may not require treatment if it does not cause symptoms. Its growth will be monitored by imaging, scanner or MRI .
• Grade 2: Stade 2 meningioma is said to be “atypical”. It is more aggressive and has a higher risk of recurrence. Radiation therapy is sometimes necessary after the intervention.
• Grade 3 : these much, much more serious meningiomas are also very rare. According to the neurosurgery department of the Lariboisière hospital in Paris, they represent less than 1% of meningiomas. The risk of seeing them recurrent is very high and the radiotherapy essential after the intervention.

Meningioma: How to recognize the symptoms of this brain tumor?

Meningioma is a brain tumor whose development is slow in most cases. The tumor can be present for several years and do not cause any symptoms, it is frequently discovered by chance during a routine exam. Symptoms and their intensity will depend on the location of the tumor and its grade. However, it should be kept in mind that, if the symptoms listed here should alert, they do not necessarily mean that a tumor develops in the brain. Only an imaging examination can confirm this.

• Headaches that go worse
• Epilepsy attacks
• Vision, smell, hearing disorders
• Word disorders
• Weakness in a member
• Dizziness, balance losses
• Confusion, disorientation

How to detect meningioma?

As we have explained, it happens in many cases that meningioma is discovered fortuitously during an imaging examination.
Only MRI (addition of amavea: with injection if possible) , or the scanner confirms the presence of meningioma. These exams may be prescribed by the doctor before a beam of several symptoms evocative of a brain tumor.

The consequences of meningioma

If meningioma is a non -cancer tumor, it is not trivial . Some tumors, very aggressive, can jeopardize the patient's life if they are not removed or treated. In general, depending on its location, it is the very presence of meningioma and the structures or tissues of the brains that it compresses which will cause complications. It is therefore the achievement of brain functions and not the cells of the tumor that causes these complications.

Meningioma treatments

• Monitoring

In many cases, the management of meningioma, when it is low, will consist of careful monitoring of its evolution by regular MRI for several years. The evolution of meningioma being slow, this surveillance may suffice and even be final depending on the age of the patient and the appearance, or not, of disabled symptoms.

• Surgical removal of the tumor

For grade 2 or 3 tumors that cause symptoms, surgery is the most common treatment. The risks of the operation depending on the location of the tumor.
( Adding Amavea: we only know the grade if the meningioma is operated. And the surgery may be necessary for a meningiom which will prove after grade 1 operation but which causes serious symptoms)

• Radiation therapy and radiosurgery

If the surgical intervention has not made it possible to withdraw the entire tumor, that it cannot be removed because of its location, or that the risk that it recur is very high, the patient will have to do radiotherapy sessions. Radiosurgery which consists in delivering a high dose of radius in a very localized manner can also be envisaged.

Meningioma: Everything you need to know about this brain tumor

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