How is a meningioma diagnosed?
• A physical exam: This includes questions about the patient’s symptoms, personal and family health history, physical exam, and tests of vision, and reflexes. • A neurological exam: This includes questions about the patient’s symptoms, personal and family health history, and tests of vision, hearing, balance, coordination, reflexes and ability to think and remember. • Scans of the brain: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT or CAT scan), which use computers to create detailed images of the brain, are the most common scans used to diagnose brain tumors. Meningiomas have distinct radiological characteristics. Scans of meningioma show evidence of a dura tail (attachment to the covering of the brain) and indentation of the brain. • Pathological confirmation: Typically a craniotomy is performed if possible. The tumor is removed and examined under a microscope to determine the pathological characteristics of the tissue. The tumor is then given a pathological grade. If
