Are right-hemisphere lesions really larger? Lesion size and laterality in meningioma patients

Abstract

Patients with pathologically confirmed diagnoses of meningioma were examined to investigate the hypothesis that left-hemisphere lesions are smaller or declared earlier than right-hemisphere lesions. 77 patients were examined with regard to age at presentation and nature of symptoms. In addition CAT scan films of 47 patients were obtained for measurement of lesion size. There were no differences between right and left lesion groups with regard to size of lesion or age at presentation. Subgroups of patients with lesions in frontal association areas also did not differ. Some relationships were discovered between lesion location and nature of symptoms.

Laterality of Brain Tumors

“…Other authors have reported a left-sided predominance for meningioma, but the sample size was small (L:R = 1.50; n = 65) [31] or not reported [10]. We observed a nonsignificant 1% excess of right-sided over left-sided glioma, and a 9% excess of left-sided over right-sided meningioma.…”

“…This is based on the presumption that effects on parts of the brain involved with language and speech are likely to produce symptoms more noticeable or upsetting to the individual or to family members, and thus lead to earlier diagnosis [31]. In the present study, the mean size of left-sided, high-grade glioma at the time of diagnosis was significantly smaller than the mean size of right-sided, high-grade glioma.…”

“…A longstanding hypothesis in the neuropsychological literature is that left-hemisphere lesions, whether of neoplastic, vascular or other origin, 'declare' themselves earlier than right-hemisphere lesions and that right-sided lesions, therefore, tend to be larger or more severe at the time of diagnosis [31,32]. This is based on the presumption that effects on parts of the brain involved with language and speech are likely to produce symptoms more noticeable or upsetting to the individual or to family members, and thus lead to earlier diagnosis [31].…”

Η Προγνωστική Σημασία Της Ογκομετρίας Σε Ασθενείς Με Πολύμορφο Γλοιοβλάστωμα

“…Στην προσπάθεια τους να προσεγγίσουν καλύτερα το πραγματικό μέγεθος του όγκου, πολλοί ερευνητές χρησιμοποίησαν στο παρελθόν διάφορα στερεομετρικά μοντέλα, υποθέτοντας ότι το σχήμα του όγκου είναι σφαιρικό, ελλειπτικό ή ακόμα και ορθογώνιο παραλληλεπίπεδο (55,56,57). Ούτε όμως αυτή η μέθοδος αποδίδει τον πραγματικό όγκο ενός νεοπλάσματος.…”