Skull base meningioma! Can Gamma Knife be treated too?

  Most meningiomas are benign tumors (malignant accounts for about 10%). Meningiomas of different sites should consult a Gamma Knife physician and consider Gamma Knife treatment first, and surgery as a last resort when Gamma Knife cannot be done. Although Gamma Knife cannot make the meningioma disappear immediately, it can control the growth of the tumor, and the meningioma will gradually shrink in the following six months to two years. Generally speaking, convex meningiomas are given priority for surgery, other parts are given priority for Gamma Knife, those with symptoms of high cranial pressure are given priority for surgery, and those without symptoms are given priority for Gamma Knife.  Meningiomas are mostly benign, spherical or nodular, growing outside the brain parenchyma but often embedded within the cerebral hemispheres. The most frequent sites of meningiomas are the parsagittal sinus, the convexity of the brain, and the skull base. The latter include the pterygoid crest, olfactory groove, saddle nodes, and pontocerebellar horn, but rarely grow within the ventricles of the brain. Meningiomas are extremely blood-rich because the tumor often receives blood supply from multiple sources such as the external carotid artery, internal carotid artery, or vertebrobasilar artery. These tumors are very slow growing, so sometimes they may grow to a large size without showing symptoms. The clinical manifestations depend on the location of the tumor. If the tumor is located in the cerebral hemisphere, it often causes epilepsy, hemiparesis and mental disorders. If the tumor is located at the base of the skull, symptoms of cranial nerve and brain involvement are often seen in the corresponding area. The symptoms of increased intracranial pressure usually appear later. Patients may suffer from long-term chronic intracranial pressure increase resulting in loss of vision or even blindness in both eyes.  Due to the large dose gradient of radiation exposure between the localized lesion area and the periphery of Gamma Knife, there is almost no damage to the peripheral tissues. Gamma Knife has gradually evolved from the initial treatment of intracranial tumors mainly in the form of radiotherapy treatment to head and body treatment. Any kind of treatment has its strengths and will have its weaknesses, and will have its indications. The advantage of gamma knife is no damage, no side effects, the disadvantage is that the tumor will not disappear soon after treatment, perhaps only to control the development of the tumor. The size of the volume is not the criterion for determining whether to choose the gamma knife, the real criterion is the trade-off between the advantages and disadvantages. This requires the neurosurgeon to understand not only what to expect from the procedure, but also what the Gamma Knife can achieve.  Gamma knife technology for treating brain tumors has become relatively mature. The advantages of gamma knife for treating brain tumors are precise positioning, less trauma, and less susceptibility to infection.  Is it possible to treat meningioma with Gamma Knife?  The answer is yes. Gamma knife treatment has the advantages of no trauma, no general anesthesia, no incision, no bleeding and no infection. It is a good choice for meningioma patients.