A benign tumor arising from the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

A benign tumor arising from the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

• A. Meningioma
• B. Encephalitis
• C. Cerebrovascular
• D. Pustule

Answer: (A)

A benign tumor arising from the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord is a meningioma. Meningiomas originate from the meninges—the dura, arachnoid, and pia mater—and most commonly arise from arachnoid cap cells attached to the outer surface of the brain or spinal cord. They are typically slow-growing and often considered benign, causing symptoms mainly through mass effect or compression of adjacent neural structures. Context helps: because they grow on the outer surfaces (extra-axial) rather than within the brain tissue itself, they can have distinct imaging features such as a well-defined shape and a dural tail sign on MRI, and they are frequently amenable to surgical removal with a favorable prognosis when completely excised. The other terms don’t fit because encephalitis is inflammation of brain tissue, usually from infection or autoimmunity; cerebrovascular refers to diseases of the blood vessels in the brain (like stroke); and pustule is a skin lesion containing pus. None describe a tumor arising from the brain’s protective membranes.

A benign tumor arising from the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord is a meningioma. Meningiomas originate from the meninges—the dura, arachnoid, and pia mater—and most commonly arise from arachnoid cap cells attached to the outer surface of the brain or spinal cord. They are typically slow-growing and often considered benign, causing symptoms mainly through mass effect or compression of adjacent neural structures.

Context helps: because they grow on the outer surfaces (extra-axial) rather than within the brain tissue itself, they can have distinct imaging features such as a well-defined shape and a dural tail sign on MRI, and they are frequently amenable to surgical removal with a favorable prognosis when completely excised.

The other terms don’t fit because encephalitis is inflammation of brain tissue, usually from infection or autoimmunity; cerebrovascular refers to diseases of the blood vessels in the brain (like stroke); and pustule is a skin lesion containing pus. None describe a tumor arising from the brain’s protective membranes.