Meningioma
A meningioma is a tumor that forms on membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord inside the skull. Meningiomas are often slow-growing. As many as 90% are benign (not cancerous). Often, meningiomas cause no symptoms and require no immediate treatment but the growth of benign meningiomas can cause serious problems.
Because most meningiomas grow slowly, symptoms often develop gradually. The most common symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Blurred vision
- Weakness in arms or legs
- Numbness
- Speech problems
Our Approach to Treating Meningioma
If the tumor is not causing any symptoms, observation is recommended. Regular brain scans will be performed to determine if the tumor is growing.
If the tumor's growth threatens to cause problems or if symptoms begin to develop, surgery may be necessary.
Surgical Treatment
For meningioma tumors that can be removed with surgery, we use a minimally invasive approach whenever possible. Often, we perform an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) procedure to treat hydrocephalus. This procedure helps control pressure in the brain and drain extra fluid.
Radiation Therapy
For meningioma tumors, we use radiation therapy as an alternative to surgery and after surgery to target any lingering cancer cells. We may also use stereotactic radiosurgery to treat small meningioma, which is a treatment that uses a highly focused beam of radiation to target tumor cells while leaving surrounding brain tissue unaffected.
Advanced operating room technologies
The O-arm intraoperative CT imaging and navigation system allows our experienced neurosurgeons to visualize brain anatomy in 3D during the operation, resulting in increased surgical precision, smaller incisions, and improved outcomes. We also continuously monitor the electrical activity of the brain and spinal cord during surgery to reduce the risk of harming vital functions such as movement and sensation. These techniques and procedures enhance safety and allow for more complete tumor removal.