Meningioma- familial
Overview
A slow-growing tumor of the meninges that is not cancerous. Symptoms are determined by the size and location of the tumor.
Symptoms
- Movement symptoms
- Sensory changes
- Vision changes
- Seizures
- Increased intracranial pressure - and its various symptoms Severe headache
- Headache
- Progressive weakness
- Seizures
- Mental changes
- Drowsiness
- Listlessness
- Dullness
- Personality changes
- Aphasia
- Lack of sense of smell
- Double vision
- Incontinence
- Astereognosis
Causes
- Tension-type headache –Most common cause of headache –Diffuse, bilateral, band-like pain –Lasts for hours to days –May occur on a fairly regular basis
- Migraine headache –Throbbing unilateral or bilateral pain –May last for days –May have preceding aura (flashing light) –Triggers include foods, drugs, or stress
- Meningitis –May present with fever, photophobia, neck stiffness, nausea/vomiting, papilledema –Brudzinski's sign: Neck pain upon passive flexion of neck –Kernig's sign: Neck pain and involuntary flexion upon passive extension of knee with hips flexed
- Head trauma
- Medications
- Carbon monoxide exposure
- Sinusitis
- Temporomandibular joint syndrome or dental pain
- Withdrawal from alcohol, barbiturates, caffeine, or other substance
- Temporal arteritis –Pain/tenderness over temporal area/jaw –Occurs uniquely in patients over 50 –Blindness may occur
- Mass lesions (e.g., tumor, hematoma) –Daily, progressive headache –May awaken from sleep –Focal neurologic signs
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage –Sudden onset of “worst headache of my life” –Neck stiffness –Loss of consciousness
- Cluster headache –Severe, unilateral pain –Lasts minutes to hours –Occurs daily for months, then remits for months or even years
- Glaucoma –Retro-orbital pain
- Chronic daily headache or rebound headache (e.g., secondary to chronic analgesic use)
- Benign intracranial hypertension
Diagnosis
- Brain x-ray
- Brain CAT scan
Treatment
- Surgical removal
- Radiotherapy