Can a CT scan tell if a meningioma is benign?

I recently had a CT scan (headaches) and my neurologist said I have 2 small benign meningiomas in my right frontal lobe. How can he look just at the scan and tell they are benign without running any kind of tests? Is that possible?

I was diagnosed with a golf ball sized tuberculum sellae meningioma 3 years ago and had surgery 2 weeks after diagnosis. All of my tumor was removed and I have had no regrowth.

The only way to know for sure the grade (benign or malignant) of any tumor, or to even identify the type of tumor definitely is by running pathology tests on the tumor tissue, which can only be done after surgical removal of all or part of the tumor.

A CT scan or MRI can give a "probable" diagnosis. My CT scan was read by one radiologist who diagnosed my "lesion" as an aneurysm. I had the same CT scan read by another radiologist who said it was a "probable meningioma". I then had an MRI done and had a more precise diagnosis of a meningioma, but still it was not definite until after surgery.

Approximately 80% of meningiomas are classified as benign, 10-20% are atypical (benign but showing aggressive growth), only 1-2% of meningiomas are malignant.

Since most of them are benign, that is not to say they don't cause health issues. My meningioma was attached to my optic nerves and was wrapped around the internal carotid artery. If it had not been discovered and surgically removed, I would have gone blind and it would have slowly cut off the blood supply to my brain.

The first answerer made a valid point about hormones. Hormonal fluctuations can cause meningiomas to grow, but only IF the tumor has hormone receptors. Again that is only determined by pathology testing. My tumor did not have hormone receptors and would have continued to grow, regardless of my age. His comment that meningiomas shrink after menopause is a joke I hope. I have been in contact with about 150 other meningioma survivors and 3 people who have died from the affects of meningiomas in the last three years. I have never heard of a meningioma shrinking, except through some form of radiation treatment.

I would suggest that you consult with a neurosurgeon to get another opinion whether you need surgery or not. The best chance of having complete surgical removal is to have it when the tumor is smaller and not causing neurological problems. Frontal lobe tumors are known to cause seizures and other symptoms.

http://www.abta.org/siteFiles/SitePages/...
This is a link to American Brain Tumor Assoc. literature on meningiomas.

http://www.meningiomamommas.com/
This is a link to a wonderful online support group for people affected by meningiomas.

Good luck. Please email me if you have any questions for me.

A meningioma is a benign brain tumor.
The test to diagnose it is a CT scan of the brain sometimes a MRI may not diagnose it paradoxically.
Depending on the location and size it is best not to do anything. It grows in pregnancy as it is hormonally related and shrinks in the postmenopausal period.