A rare fluid filled meningioma that looked like an aggressive brain tumor
Original title: Purely cystic meningioma: extremely rare clinical and radiographic mimic of intra-axial glioblastoma multiforme with systematic review of the literature. Illustrative case.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This looks across many earlier studies rather than running a new one.
This is a report on one patient and a look back at past cases, not a new treatment.
The short version
A brain mass that looked like an aggressive tumor on scans turned out to be a slow growing, non cancerous one.
What was studied. Doctors report the case of one woman, age 84, who had trouble speaking. They also searched past medical reports for similar cases.
What they found. Her scan showed a 3-cm mass in the left temporal lobe. It looked like a high grade brain cancer, and it looked that way during surgery too. Tests on the removed tissue showed it was a meningioma, a type of tumor that grows outside the brain tissue and is not cancer. Her speech problem went away after surgery, and 10 years of yearly scans showed no return. Only 3 other cases like this were found in past reports.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Scans can be wrong. A mass that looks aggressive is not always aggressive. This is why doctors test a piece of the tissue before they settle on a treatment plan. If you or someone you care for has a brain mass, it is fair to ask whether a tissue result has confirmed what it is.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean that masses that look like an aggressive brain tumor are usually harmless. They usually are not. This is a report on one patient, plus 3 other cases found in past reports. It is not a study of a new treatment, and it does not change how care is given. It is not a promise of a cure for anyone else.
Source: PubMed, July 27, 2026 · Read the original
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