Introduction
Meningiomas are tumor growths that develop and extend from the meninges. These types of tumors are common and comprise a third of all brain tumors. Normally, meningiomas develop as slow–growing tumors (Lee 10). However, with time, malignancy cannot be overruled. According to medical researchers, most meningiomas are asymptomatic and exhibit no symptoms throughout an individual’s life. In addition, there exist no formal treatments other than periodic observation (Ransohoff 15). For these reasons, there are several types of meningiomas based on their locations, which include convexity meningiomas and Olfactory Groove Meningiomas.
Causes
To date, the main causes of meningiomas are still unknown. However, like other cancerous growths, meningiomas are initiated by exposure to unfavorable factors such as atomic radiation and other body elements leading to a genetic disorder in the body. (Lee 20). Physically, the tumors may result from head injuries, though their linkage is unknown (Ransohoff 15).
Convexity Meningiomas
Convexity meningiomas tumors develop on the dural base under the lower occipital, and suboccipital bone overlying the convexity (Mefty 135). As a result, Convexity meningiomas grow on the surface of the brain, beneath the skull. This accounts for more than twenty percent of all meningiomas (Ransohoff 65). Convexity meningiomas are normally asymptomatic until the tumors enlarge in size. After the tumors have enlarged significantly, their symptoms appear based on their location and proximity to the brain. According to health experts, convexity meningiomas normally affect individuals within the age group of the ’40s and ’70s (Mefty 137).
Symptoms
Headaches
According to medical experts, one of the most common symptoms of convexity meningiomas is headache (Mefty 138). These headaches can be mild or severe, and naturally occur on the forehead. Growth of convexity meningiomas in the brain changes the brain pressure levels. With increased brain pressure, affected individuals typically experience severe headache pain, limiting one’s ability to concentrate. In this regard, headache pains among on-convexity meningiomas patients occur regularly or irregularly. However, among convexity patients the headache pains recur frequently.
Seizures
Another major symptom experienced by convexity meningiomas patients are seizures (Ransohoff 78). Seizures results from abnormal disruption of the brain electrical activity. Most of the patients, who have had seizures, have reported experiencing involuntary muscle spasms coupled with visual hallucinations lasting for short periods. Once the seizure ends, affected individuals emerge as confuse, fatigue and complain of muscles pains. In the presence of such symptoms, the affected individuals should seek immediate medical help (Mefty 137). Apart from convexity meningiomas, seizures can result from head injury. Therefore, medical professionals should treat both tumors appropriately.
Neurological deficits
According to Mayfield clinic professionals, convexity meningiomas patients may exhibit neurological deficits in their daily acts (Pamir and Peter 35). Neurological changes are illustrated by patient’s loss of memory, attention difficulties, character changes, trouble speaking and motor coordination problems. With increase in convexity meningiomas, neurological deficits become fully apparent. Thus, the need to avoid such phenomena, necessitate patients to seek medical attention as fast as possible. This is aimed at reducing the level of neurological malfunction.
Olfactory Groove Meningiomas (OGM)
The World Health Organization (WHO) regards OGM as ‘Grade 1’ meningiomas (Mefty 196). As compared to other meningiomas, the tumors account for nearly ten percent of all meningiomas. These tumors arise from behind the eyes, along the sphenoid ridge. Based on their on their name, the tumors develop and affect between the snout and the brain.
With its increase in size, the affected individual might lose his or her sense of smell. Over time, when they are overgrown, loss of vision is eminent. However, despite significant technological advances in neuroimaging processes, Olfactory Groove Meningiomas can be discovered when they are very large (Pamir and Peter 85).
Symptoms
Some of the most common symptoms of these tumors include the changes in individual’s personality, judgment and motivation (Mefty 196). Allies of the affected individuals notice these changes.
Normally, Lesions grow to very large sizes before they can be diagnosed. In the late courses of the tumor, individuals exhibit headaches and visual problems. Despite, olfactory smells distorting from the onset of the disease, most patients rarely realize (MacCarty 124). Due to its growth pattern, the tumors extends in such a manner that they compress optic nerves resulting in visual aid defects. Visual defect effects are usually hard to detect in patients with large tumors.
One of the first clinical symptoms of OGM is Anosmia. Due to the OGM’s area of concentration, olfactory tract linings are greatly altered by the tumors growth. Due to the gradual decline of the olfactory, patients may not realize the effects of the tumor during its onset stages. With the disease nature of affecting one side of the nose, most patients do mistake the disease for lack or decline of smelling ability.
Nevertheless, with increase in OGM growth down the olfactory patients may experience despair, boredom and retardation (Mefty 201). With advancements in medicine researches, medics have linked both euphoria, insomnia and despair symptoms with progressive growth of OGM down the olfactory tissues.
Towards its late stages, the tumor results in urinary incontinence as well as pace ataxia symptoms. Despite the removal of the tumor, these conditions rarely recover. The cortical neurons responsible for the gait and micturition response arise from the cerebral hemispheres, traveling up and down the lateral ventricles. Thereafter, they travel into the internal capsule. As a result, the growth of the tumors leads to the stretching of the fibers, where the affected individual suffers from incontinence and gait ataxia.
OGM Diagnosis
In the event that an individual is affected by the OGM, a physician should prescribe diagnostic imaging. Thereafter, computer tomography (CT) should be administered on the patients head as the brains first imaging study (MacCarty 198). This medical exercise would depict the status of the brain. As a result, medics will understand the manner to administer medication.
These two forms of tumors, though being relatively uncommon, are among the largest found tumors by medics. Despite the Improvements in both therapeutic and diagnostic advances, olfactory groove meningiomas growth is still considered a puzzle by most medics. However, some medics have attributed this phenomenon to the tumor’s location in the brain. OMG is located at a silent part of the brain allowing conducive growth of the tumors (Mefty 200).
To avoid late diagnosis and treatments, total awareness of the condition at early periods is essential. In this case, individuals can detect early symptoms before any diagnostic imaging is carried on. Similarly, patients who portray anosmia and depression, particularly the old, should be thoroughly analyzed by physicians. Under this event, medics should adopt methodical analysis on their neurological findings.
Conclusion
Persons with meningiomas experience the above symptoms and signs. However, some individuals do not show these symptoms despite the presence meningiomas (Mefty 201). Similarly, other disease apart from the tumor can equally cause these symptoms. Thus, it is highly advisable for anyone experiencing the symptoms to seek medical help for effective treatment. In both meningiomas cases, there are general symptoms both experienced by the patients.
These general symptoms include headaches, personality changes, blurred vision, nausea, and memory changes. With these symptoms, it will be very difficult to identify the specific meningiomas affecting an individual (Mefty 167). Therefore, if one needs to identify the specific meningiomas, he or she has to analyze the specific symptoms attributed to the type of tumor involved. In regard this, symptoms analyzed will be specific to the each location affected by the involved tumor.
As such, convexity meningiomas patient will experience seizures, personal changes and focal neurological deficits. For olfactory groove meningiomas, the specific symptoms experienced will be loss of smell and distorted vision. As a result, an individual in dilemma who guesses that the tumor is linked to the two meningiomas, has to correlate his or her symptoms with distinct disease symptoms.
This does not only enables one to identify the possible type of meningiomas but also allows the individual to seek earlier medical attention before the growth increases in size. Thus, easing the treatment processes. Similarly, the length of symptoms experienced may aid the medics in the diagnosis exercise to determine the type of the tumor involved. Therefore, it is essential for patients to be open with regard to their conditions, enhance better diagnosis and treatment.
Works cited
Lee, Joung H.. Meningiomas. London: Springer-Verlag London, 2009. Print.
MacCarty, Collin Stewart. The surgical treatment of intracranial Meningiomas. Springfield, Ill.: Thomas, 2000. Print.
Mefty, Ossama. Al-Mefty’s Meningiomas. 2nd ed. New York: Thieme Medical, 2011. Print.
Pamir, M. Necmettin, and Peter McL Black. Meningiomas. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders, 2010. Print.
Ransohoff, Joseph. Meningiomas. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co., 2003. Print.