Typical symptoms of meningioma

Meningioma is a common brain tumor with a high incidence rate, accounting for one-fifth of all brain tumors. It is a derivative originating from the meninges and the meningeal space. Meningioma grows slowly and has a long course. It often causes bone destruction, but the increase in intracranial pressure is not obvious. The tumor is large in size, and headache and epilepsy are often the first symptoms. Papilledema may also occur.

1) Slow growth and long course: Meningioma is a benign tumor that grows slowly and has a long course. The average time for early symptoms to appear is 2.5 years, and in a few patients it can last up to 6 years.

2) Often causes bone changes: Meningiomas near the skull can often cause bone changes, which are manifested as thinning of the bone plates due to pressure, or destruction of the bone plates, or even penetration of the bone plates and erosion to the subgaleal aponeurotic membrane. Bumps can be seen in parts of the scalp, and the inner bone plates can also be thickened. The thickened skull may contain tumor tissue.

3) Intracranial pressure is not obvious: The symptoms of increased intracranial pressure in patients with meningioma are not obvious, especially in elderly patients. Many patients only have mild headaches, and even meningioma is accidentally discovered through CT scan.

4) Large tumor size: Most meningiomas grow slowly and are hidden. When obvious symptoms appear, the tumor size is already quite large. When the brain tissue can no longer compensate, the condition will suddenly worsen, and even brain herniation may occur in a short period of time.

5) Headache and epilepsy are often the first symptoms: Because the tumor grows in an expansive manner, patients often experience headache and epilepsy as the first symptoms. Among them, epilepsy is more common in elderly patients.

6) Papilledema may often occur: Some patients with meningioma have severe papilledema of the fundus and even secondary optic nerve atrophy.