Please remember that this is general information and is meant as a guide. All diagnoses and treatment options should be discussed in full with a qualified clinician.
Meningiomas are generally benign, slow-growing tumours which arise from the cells that line the brain. Very occasionally they can be malignant. Meningiomas are one of the most common types of brain tumour and can be present at multiple sites, although this is rare.
The presenting symptoms depend on the location of the tumour and are caused by the tumour pressing on surrounding tissue or nerves. Patients can also present with epilepsy. Headache and vomiting can also occur.
The aim of treatment is to remove the tumour completely (hopefully achieved with surgery) or to stop the tumour from growing (hopefully achieved with gamma knife treatment).
Surgery usually aims to remove the tumour and its origin completely, without damaging the surrounding brain tissue. It remains the treatment option of choice for easily accessible lesions and the outcome is generally excellent. However, without complete removal the tumour is likely to recur, and long-term studies have shown that up to one third of patients may develop a recurrence. Some tumours are considered inoperable, and these tend to be those arising from the skull base. When a full removal is not possible, patients can go on to have gamma knife treatment for any residual tumour. Surgery is a particularly useful treatment for larger tumours or tumours producing neurological deficits due to their sheer bulk.
Skull base lesions, and particularly those in relatively inaccessible sites such as the cavernous sinus, are particularly well-suited to gamma knife treatment. Following gamma knife treatment, rates of stabilisation or decrease in the size of tumour have been quoted at up to 90 per cent. Complications, including cranial nerve dysfunction, have a low reported incidence. These compare favourably with surgery. Gamma knife can also be used to treat patients with multiple lesions.