Patient's Journey with Meningioma: Narrative of Diagnosis and Recovery

Tina Allsop, an assistant principal at an elementary school in Bellingham, Washington, found herself adjusting to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020. As she worked to transition her school to remote learning, she started experiencing headaches and worsening vision. Allsop initially attributed these symptoms to the long hours spent on Zoom and computer work.

By January 2021, after several visits to optometrists and new eye prescriptions, an eye doctor found an abnormality in Allsop's optic nerve and referred her to a specialist. The specialist, concerned about the abnormality, recommended an MRI scan. The MRI revealed a meningioma, a brain tumor that arises from the tissues enveloping the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges.

Meningiomas are the most common type of brain tumor, with three distinct grades. The most common grade is slow-growing, while grade two is mid-grade and has a higher chance of growing back after removal. Grade three is malignant or cancerous and grows rapidly. Symptoms of meningioma can include hearing or smell loss, headaches, eye strain, and seizures.

Allsop was diagnosed with a large, grade two meningioma that was invading the main draining vein from the brain, called the superior sagittal sinus. The tumor was removed by Dr. Manuel Ferreira, UW Medicine's chief of neurological surgery and co-director of skull base and minimally invasive neurosurgery. Almost half of Ferreira's 400 yearly operations are for meningiomas, making him an ideal surgeon for the case.

Ferreira was able to remove Allsop's entire meningioma, reducing the need for lifelong tumor control through radiation or chemotherapy. Two months after the surgery, Allsop could walk independently with the help of physical therapy. Three months later, she could do a slow hike near her house. Four months post-surgery, she gradually returned to normal, achieving one of her main goals—hiking again.

Allsop's experience underscores the importance of paying attention to new or unusual symptoms in the body. Her persistence in seeking medical help led to timely and effective treatment of her meningioma. Meningiomas can be symptom-free for years but usually present with neurological symptoms like headaches, seizures, sensory disturbances, and motor weakness. Women, especially those exposed to certain hormonal treatments, have a higher risk of developing meningioma. Persistent neurological symptoms should prompt medical evaluation with imaging like CT or MRI for diagnosis.

Tina Allsop's medical-conditions, initially attributed to long hours of computer work and Zoom sessions, escalated into a serious health concern when an abnormality in her optic nerve was discovered during an MRI scan, revealing a slow-growing, Grade 2 meningioma.
As a specialist in therapies-and-treatments for medical-conditions like meningioma, Dr. Manuel Ferreira, UW Medicine's chief of neurological surgery, was equipped to remove Allsop's large meningioma that was invading the superior sagittal sinus.
Post-surgery, Allsop's recovery progressed significantly, enabling her to walk independently through physical therapy two months later, hike near her house three months afterward, and return to normal activities four months post-surgery, achievement of one of her main goals—hiking again.
Meningioma, being the most common type of neurological-disorders arising from the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, usually presents with symptoms like headaches, seizures, sensory disturbances, and motor weakness in women, especially those exposed to certain hormonal treatments.
Allsop's story emphasizes that paying attention to new or unusual symptoms and seeking timely medical evaluation, including imaging like CT or MRI, is crucial for early diagnosis and effective treatment of meningioma and other health-and-wellness issues.