A high power photomicrograph of the meningioma. These tumors arise from arachnoid cells and tend to be attached to dura. They push the brain tissue away, causing pressure atrophy of the underlying cortex. They can be found anywhere dura and arachnoid are found, in the cranial cavity and spinal canal. Occasionally they are found in odd places such as the finger or lung for reasons that are not clear.
Meningiomas arise from arachnoid cells.
Their cause is not known but occasionally they arise at sites of trauma or irradiation or in some hereditary tumor diatheses such as neurofibromatosis. The tumor grows from arachnoid cells when there has been loss of tumor suppressor genes and activation of protooncogenes. They are more comman in women than men, probably related to their tendency to have estrogen and progesterone receptors. They are the only truly benign tumor in that they usually do not recur after complete surgical removal. Meningiomas have a smooth bosselated external surface which is usually pink-tan in color.