Large left-sided skull base meningiomaMeningiomas are non-cancerous (benign) tumors that grow from the covering (membrane) around the brain and spinal cord.

They can occur in many different places around the brain, but is common for them to grow near the base of the skull.

Patient Population

Meningiomas are typically seen in older women between the ages of 40 and 70. The ration of women to men who get these tumors is 3:1.

Symptoms

Meningiomas are slow-growing tumors but they can grow to a size that causes a variety of symptoms, including problems with hearing, balance, and vision. Specific symptoms associated with meningiomas include:

• Vision changes including blurriness and double vision
• Hearing loss
• Memory loss
• Seizures
• Headaches

Diagnosis

When patients present with symptoms of meninsiomas, doctors typically order a magnetic resonance image (MRI) to get a clear view of the tumor.

In some cases, depending on the location of the tumor, a computed tomography (CT) scan is done to see if the tumor is affecting the skull bone.

Treatments

Because they are slow-growing tumors, if the meningioma is not an immediate threat, it might just be monitored with regular MRI scans to see how it is growing.

Meningiomas often require surgery to remove them. Surgeons will determine the best surgical approach based on the size and location of the tumor.