Undiagnosed Meningioma Leading to Blindness
If meningioma is not diagnosed and treated in time, the patient could be left with life-changing complications such as blindness.
If you or your loved one has suffered harm because of a delay in treating meningioma, please get in touch with us at Glynns Solicitors.
What is meningioma?
Meningioma is a type of brain tumour. Around 90% are non-cancerous. It develops on the meninges, which are the tissues that protect the brain and spinal cord.
Meningioma can cause different symptoms, depending upon the location of the tumour. A sub-frontal meningioma can lead to the loss of vision, while others can cause sickness, seizures, weakness in an arm or leg, and confusion/memory loss.
Diagnosing and treating meningioma
A patient with these symptoms should be sent to a specialist for tests. A variety of tests will be needed to check the patient's reflexes, memory and vision. A swollen optic nerve is a sign of raised pressure inside the skull and can be detected by shining a light into the patient's eye. The size and location of the tumour can be confirmed with imaging tests, particularly a CT scan.
Most meningiomas are treated with surgery to remove the tumour, and radiotherapy.
Recurring meningioma
Meningiomas do have a tendency to re-grow once they have been removed. Therefore even if the removal of the tumour is complete, the patient must remain under the care of the hospital and undergo frequent scans to ensure there is no recurrence.
Meningiomas are very slow growing, so it is possible for the tumour to recur years after the initial treatment. Because of this, the patient should not be discharged from the care of the specialist unit too early, but should continue to undergo regular reviews.
If a recurrent tumour is detected, a treatment plan must be decided upon. If the meningioma is very small the patient can be monitored until surgery becomes necessary. Even so, treatment is still required in the early stages, as this will limit the growth of the tumour and halt a deterioration in the patient's condition.
Missed meningioma
If meningioma is missed, or a recurrent tumour is missed, the tumour will continue to grow. This can cause significant complications for the patient, particularly with regards to vision. If treatment is delayed for too long, it is possible for the patient to lose their sight altogether.
If a doctor or ophthalmologist fails to diagnose meningioma, causing the patient to suffer life-changing complications such as blindness, there could be a case of medical negligence. Please get in touch with us to find out more.
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