What Are the Causes of Meningiomas?

Mengiomas are a certain type of tumor. A tumor is an anomalous tissue growth that results in an uncontrolled and accelerated increase of cells in the body. Mengiomas can be benign or malignant. However, it is very unusual for them to be cancerous. Mengiomas are slow growing tumors, and they are usually found in middle-aged adults over the age of 40. The tumors are so slow growing, that they have been developing in the person since the individual was young, but it is not until middle age that the person begins to show symptoms of having a meningioma. Also, meningiomas are more prevalent in women than men.

Where Do Meningiomas Form and What Are the Symptoms

• Meningiomas form on the meninges, which is the casing that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Therefore, meningiomas can form on the spinal cord or on the brain. If the tumor forms on the spinal cord, the person may feel tingling in the hands and feet, and her limbs may feel like they are "asleep." As tumors on the spinal cord grow, the individual will have a hard time controlling his legs and arms. Depending how high on the spinal cord the tumor is located, and if it grows too large before the patient receives treatment, the individual will eventually be paralyzed and no longer able to walk or lift her arms. If the tumor is at the cervical vertebrae (the neck), the tumor may press so tightly on the spinal cord that breathing and heart function are shut down.

  As for the brain, the tumor will grow slowly and put pressure on the brain. When symptoms show up, they usually include headaches, visual problems and nausea. Sometimes people with brain meningiomas display a shift in their personality or behavior patterns. Depending on what part of the brain the tumor is pressing on, various symptoms will occur such as seizures, changes in mood, paralysis, pronunciation difficulties, dexterity problems and loss of memory.

Family History/Genetics

• Some researchers believe that there is a genetic link regarding meningioma tumors. Someone may be genetically predisposed to have meningiomas because of his DNA. Also, if a person has a close family member who had a meningioma, that individual is at risk.

Head Injury

• In a study that appeared in Neurology entitled "History of head trauma and risk of intracranial meningioma: Population-based case-control study" showed there is a link between head trauma and meningiomas.

Other Diseases

• If a person develops Neurofibromatosis type 2 during childhood or other types of cancer (especially breast cancer) she may possibly have meningiomas. Because women fall prey to meningiomas more frequently than men, a study conducted in 2003 found that women who suffered from breast cancer are more likely than women in the general population to develop meningiomas.

Radiation Therapy

• According to Christina I Hill, et. al. in Physical Therapy, Vol. 82, from May 2002, people who have received radiation therapy to their brains are at risk of developing meningiomas--particularly those who had leukemia as children and received large doses of irradiation treatment.