Symptoms

Meningiomas, tumors that grow on the delicate outer covering of the brain (called the meninges), grow slowly and usually do not spread to other parts of the body. They can grow anywhere on the meninges and as a result can affect sensory (sight, hearing, touch) and cognitive (memory, judgment) functioning.

Meningiomas often do not cause symptoms until the tumor is quite large. Symptoms are the result of the tumor compressing parts of the brain. Types of symptoms that patients with meningiomas experience include: seizures, headaches, muscle weakness, confusion, changes in personality, and visual disorders. A patient may have subtle symptoms for a long period of time before the meningioma is diagnosed. 

Meningiomas occur most often between the ages of 30 and 60 years. They are rare in children and only 1.5% of all meninigomas occur in childhood and adolescence. They are also more common in women than in men, with 65% of all diagnosed meningiomas occurring in women. 

The cause of this type of primary brain tumor is unknown.  Risk factors for meningiomas include prior radiation exposure to the head, and a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis type 2, which affects the nervous system and the skin. Many patients with meningiomas have no risk factors.