About arachnoidal fibroblastoma

What is arachnoidal fibroblastoma?

Meningiomas are benign, slow-growing tumors, classified as brain tumors, but actually growing in the three protective membranes that surround the brain (meninges). Sometimes they cause thickening or thinning of adjoining skull bones. Meningiomas do not spread to other areas of the body.

What are the symptoms for arachnoidal fibroblastoma?

Most signs and symptoms of a meningioma evolve slowly, but sometimes a meningioma requires emergency care.

Seek emergency care if you have:

  • Sudden onset of seizures
  • Sudden changes in vision or memory

Make an appointment to see your health care provider if you have persistent signs and symptoms that concern you, such as Headaches that worsen over time.

In many cases, because meningiomas do not cause any noticeable signs or symptoms, they are only discovered as a result of imaging scans done for reasons that turn out to be unrelated to the tumor, such as a head injury, stroke or headaches.

What are the causes for arachnoidal fibroblastoma?

It isn't clear what causes a meningioma. Doctors know that something alters some cells in your meninges to make them multiply out of control, leading to a meningioma tumor.

Whether this occurs because of genes you inherit, hormones (which may be related to the more frequent occurrence in women), the rare instance of prior exposure to radiation or other factors remains largely unknown. There is no solid evidence to support the belief that meningiomas occur because of cellphone use.

What are the treatments for arachnoidal fibroblastoma?

The treatment you receive for a meningioma depends on many factors, including:

  • The size and location of the meningioma
  • The rate of growth or aggressiveness of the tumor
  • Your age and overall health
  • Your goals for treatment

Wait-and-see approach

Immediate treatment isn't necessary for everyone with a meningioma. A small, slow-growing meningioma that isn't causing signs or symptoms may not require treatment.

If the plan is not to undergo treatment for meningioma, you'll likely have brain scans periodically to evaluate your meningioma and look for signs that it's growing.

If your provider determines the meningioma is growing and needs to be treated, you have several treatment options.

Surgery

If the meningioma causes signs and symptoms or shows signs that it's growing, your provider may recommend surgery.

Surgeons work to remove the meningioma completely. But because a meningioma may occur near many delicate structures in the brain or spinal cord, it isn't always possible to remove the entire tumor. In those cases, surgeons remove as much of the meningioma as possible.

The type of treatment, if any, you need after surgery depends on several factors.

  • If no visible tumor remains, then no further treatment may be necessary. However, you will have periodic follow-up scans.
  • If the tumor is benign and only a small piece remains, then your provider may recommend periodic follow-up scans only. In some cases, small leftover tumors may be treated with a form of radiation treatment called stereotactic radiosurgery.
  • If the tumor is atypical or malignant, you'll likely need radiation.

Surgery may pose risks including infection and bleeding. The specific risks of your surgery will depend on where your meningioma is located. For instance, surgery to remove a meningioma that occurs around the optic nerve can lead to vision loss. Ask your surgeon about the specific risks of your surgery.

Radiation therapy

If the meningioma can't be completely removed surgically, your provider may recommend radiation therapy following or instead of surgery.

The goal of radiation therapy is to destroy any remaining meningioma cells and reduce the chance that the meningioma may recur. Radiation therapy uses a large machine to aim high-powered energy beams at the tumor cells.

Advances in radiation therapy increase the dose of radiation to the meningioma while reducing radiation to healthy tissue. Radiation therapy options for meningiomas include:

  • Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), a type of radiation treatment that aims several beams of powerful radiation at a precise point. Contrary to its name, radiosurgery doesn't involve scalpels or incisions. Radiosurgery typically is done in an outpatient setting in a few hours. Radiosurgery may be an option for people with meningiomas that can't be removed with conventional surgery or for meningiomas that recur despite treatment.
  • Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), which delivers radiation in small fractions over time, such as one treatment a day for 30 days. This approach may be used for tumors too large for radiosurgery or those in an area that can't tolerate the high intensity of radiosurgery — such as near the optic nerve.
  • Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which uses computer software to modify the intensity of radiation directed at the meningioma site. This may be used for meningiomas located near sensitive brain structures or those with a complex shape.
  • Proton beam radiation, which uses radioactive protons precisely targeted at the tumor, reducing damage to the surrounding tissue.

Drugs

Drug therapy (chemotherapy) is rarely used to treat meningiomas, but it may be used in cases that don't respond to surgery and radiation.

There isn't a widely accepted chemotherapy approach to the treatment of meningiomas, but researchers are currently studying other targeted approaches.

What are the risk factors for arachnoidal fibroblastoma?

Risk factors for a meningioma include:

  • Radiation treatment. Radiation therapy that involves radiation to the head may increase the risk of a meningioma.
  • Female hormones. Meningiomas are more common in women, leading doctors to believe that female hormones may play a role. Some studies have also suggested a link between breast cancer and meningioma risk related to the role of hormones. Some research suggests that the use of oral birth control and hormone replacement therapy could raise the risk of meningioma growth.
  • An inherited nervous system disorder. The rare disorder neurofibromatosis 2 increases the risk of meningioma and other brain tumors.
  • Obesity. A high body mass index (BMI) is an established risk factor for many types of cancers, and a higher prevalence of meningiomas among obese people has been observed in several large studies. But the relationship between obesity and meningiomas is not clear.

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