Types of disorders

Types of disorders | Meningioma

A meningioma is a tumor that originates from the meninges. A meningioma can occur anywhere where meninges are present: both in the head as well as the spine. In principle, a meningioma is a benign tumor, which rarely can become malignant. It is no tumor of the brain itself.



A meningioma is usually discovered in middle aged women, but it can occur at any age and also in men. It is a slow growing tumor. Symptoms occur gradually through compression. Usually the meningioma is not detected until it has grown larger. The symptoms are due to pressure on the brain causing headaches and sometimes nausea and vomiting. Depending on the place where it is located, other problems arise that are related with that part of the brain or spinal cord.



The diagnosis of a meningioma is usually made on a CT or MRI examination. The treatment consists of removing the tumor. This is usually done with a surgical operation, sometimes with radiotherapy. Sometimes prior to surgery or radiation an embolization of the meningioma is performed to reduce the blood supply to the tumor. This is called the meningioma embolization. The tumor is thus not removed, but devascularised.