|
A 55 year-old woman presented with a change in personality. On exam, she was markedly abulic. |
| Meningioma (Parafalcine). (Left)
T1-weighted axial MRI; (Middle) T1-weighted with gadolinium axial MRI; (Right)
T1-weighted with gadolinium coronal MRI. Note the large, well demarcated mass
that is dural based and
compresses the adjacent frontal lobes. The mass is isointense on T1-weighted
images but strongly
enhances with contrast. Also note the large area of surrounding edema and
associated mass effect. On the coronal scan, one can better appreciate that the
tumor arises from the falx and has grown into the left frontal lobe. As
it has enlarged, however, it has also exerted mass effect on the right frontal lobe. This is the typical appearance of a meningioma. Meningiomas are common tumors that arise from the meninges and can occur within the spinal canal as well as intracranially. They are typically benign histologically, and can be surgically resected if they are in an accessible location. They are more common in women than men, and account for approximately 20% of all primary brain tumors. Similar to low grade gliomas, they grow very slowly. They may result in seizures, focal neurological signs, or both, depending on their location. Some of the more common locations for meningiomas include: ● Parasagittal (attached to the falx) |
Revised
11/30/06.
Copyrighted 2006. David C Preston