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Optimal Recovery
Return to Sport, Return to Life
Meningioma brain tumors once considered to be "unresectable" now are frequently and safely taken out at the NeuroSpine Institute. Meningiomas positioned at the base of the skull can be difficult to access, but our highly specialized surgical procedures and advanced intraoperative monitoring equipment allow us to expose hard-to-reach places without disturbing surrounding critical neurovascular structures.
Meningiomas are well-differentiated, benign, and encapsulated lesions that indent the brain as they enlarge. Generally, meningiomas are not cancerous, but instances of malignancy have been reported. Most are located in the skull, with only about 10% of meningiomas appearing in the spinal cord. They arise from the arachnoid "cap" cells of the arachnoid villi in the meninges, and most occur near the venous sinuses. However, many are also found attached to the dura, the outermost layer of the meninges located over the frontal and parietal lobes of the brain. Meningiomas that grow in the anterior fossa can hinder the senses of smell and vision or compromise pituitary activity. Meningiomas can develop from different parts of the brain and even simultaneously.
Meningiomas are known to be brought on by radiation with an average time interval to tumor appearance of 15-30 years. Due to their slow growth rate, meningiomas can stay clinically asymptomatic and go unnoticed and undetected for many years. Meningiomas are more frequently found in women than in men, leading doctors to believe that female hormones may play a role. Incidentally, they have shown enhanced growth during pregnancy.
