Meningiomas are tumors that form in the meninges, the membrane that protects the brain and spinal cord. These tumors usually grow in the brain, but It can also grow on the spine.
Meningiomas are benign tumors that grow very slowly, and can even show no symptoms for years. However, in some cases, the impact of meningiomas on brain tissue, nerves, and blood vessels can lead to more serious conditions.
Causes of Meningiomas
The exact cause of meningiomas is not known. However, there are several factors that can make a person more at risk of developing meningiomas, namely:
- Have you ever had radiotherapy to your head?
- Have a congenital nervous system disease, such as neurofibromatosis type 2
- Female gender
- Have excessive weight
Meningioma Symptoms
Symptoms of a meningioma depend on the size and location of the tumor. The following are some of the symptoms of meningioma:
- Headaches that are getting worse over time
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weakness in the arms or legs
- Blurred or ghosted vision
- Changes in behavior
- Memory disorder
- Difficulty in speaking
- Seizures
- Hearing loss or tinnitus
When to go to the doctor
Check with a doctor if you experience symptoms and complaints as mentioned above
If you have been diagnosed with meningioma, follow the treatment and therapy given by the doctor and do regular checkups so that the condition is always monitored.
Meningioma Diagnosis
To diagnose a meningioma, the doctor will ask questions about the patient's symptoms and medical history, which will then be followed by a physical examination.
Meningiomas can be difficult to diagnose because of their slow growth. Therefore, doctors need supporting examinations to confirm the diagnosis, namely CT scan or MRI to determine the position and size of the tumor. If needed, the doctor will also perform a biopsy.
Meningioma grade
Based on its character, meningiomas are grouped into several levels, namely:
- Grade 1, the tumor is still benign and slow growing
- Grade 2, tumor growth is faster and has the possibility to grow again after removal
- Grade 3, a malignant tumor that grows and spreads very fast
Meningioma Treatment
Meningioma treatment is determined based on the size, location, and whether the tumor is benign or malignant. In tumors that are small, slowly growing, and do not cause symptoms, treatment is generally not necessary. Doctors will only recommend periodic examinations to monitor tumor development.
While the tumor that causes symptoms and grows quite quickly, the treatment given by the doctor can be in the form of:
1. Operation
Surgery aims to remove the tumor. However, if the tumor grows in an inaccessible area, it may not be completely removed. In this case, the doctor will only remove the tumor that is still possible to remove and use other methods to remove the remaining tumor.
2. Endovascular embolization
Endovascular embolization may be performed if surgery cannot remove the entire tumor. This treatment aims to stop blood flow to the meningioma so that it shrinks in size.
In the process, the doctor will insert a catheter into the vein that supplies the meningioma, then insert a special loop or glue to block blood flow to the tumor.
3. Radiotherapy
In addition to endovascular embolization, radiotherapy can also be used when surgery cannot completely remove the tumor. This treatment uses radiation energy from X-rays to destroy any remaining meningioma cells and reduce the risk of meningioma recurrence after surgery.
4. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can be used for meningiomas that do not improve after surgery and radiotherapy. This treatment aims to kill cancer cells with drugs.
Meningioma Complications
The following are some of the complications that can arise from meningiomas:
- Damage, bleeding, or infection in healthy tissue around the brain or spine due to surgery
- The tumor is growing again
- Concentration difficulty
- Seizures
- Memory loss
Meningioma Prevention
As previously explained, the cause of meningiomas is not clearly known. Therefore, prevention is also difficult to do. The best effort that can be done is to avoid factors that can increase the risk of developing this disease, namely by:
- Consult a doctor regarding ways to reduce the risk of meningioma when undergoing radiotherapy to the head
- Have regular medical check-ups if you have a nervous system disease
- Maintain ideal body weight
