Benign Brain Tumors: A Common Misdiagnosis
A benign brain tumor begins as a growth that arises from normal cells, but the growth of these cells is not rapid enough to qualify the tumor as malignant. The most common kind of these tumors is known as a meningioma, a tumor that arises from the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Other benign brain tumor types include acoustic neuromas, pituitary adenomas, epidermoid tumors and craniopharingioma.
These benign brain tumors usually manifest themselves between the ages of 40 and 60 years old, except for meningioma, which can be found in the young and the old as well as middle age. Benign brain tumors develop very slowly, and in many cases, patients don’t notice any symptoms due to the fact that the brain adapts so well to the tumor. Symptoms depend on the size and location of the tumor and can include unusually persistent headaches, newfound, consistent nausea, and loss of any of various neurological functions.
Because the symptoms of a benign brain tumor are so slow to present, these brain tumors are easily misdiagnosed. The symptoms of headaches and nausea can be mistaken for a number of various medical conditions, so an MRI scan is needed to determine the presence of a tumor. Not all tumors require surgery, and some patients can benefit from a “wait-and-see” approach to treatment. However, this determination requires the assistance of an expert medical specialist, such as those at hospitals of The WorldCare Consortium®.
Benign brain tumors are one of WorldCare International’s standard covered conditions, and for more than 24 years, WorldCare’s medical second opinions have connected their membes who have benign brain tumors with medical specialists at the top-ranked US research and academic hospitals of The WorldCare Consortium®, including Massachusetts General Hospital and Mayo Clinic, to confirm or modify their diagnosis and recommend optimal treatment plans.
Because of WorldCare’s unique relationship with these top-ranked facilities, our medical second opinion service is the gold-standard in the industry. Our medical second opinions are focused on all aspects of a member’s case to ensure that the correct diagnosis and most effective treatment plan are established.
If you are a member and would like to request service or if you are an employer, insurer, broker or TPA interested in offering our services, please contact us today.