The key difference between hemangioma and meningioma is that hemangioma is a bright red birthmark that appears on the skin at birth or in the first or second week of life, while meningioma is a tumor that forms in the meninges, which are the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord.
Hemangioma and meningioma are two medical conditions that can form benign growths in different parts of the body. However, meningioma is predominantly found in adults. Moreover, meningioma can also be cancerous, so it needs immediate treatment from a qualified doctor.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Hemangioma
3. What is Meningioma
4. Similarities – Hemangioma and Meningioma
5. Hemangioma vs Meningioma in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Hemangioma vs Meningioma
What is Hemangioma?
Hemangioma is a type of benign growth that appears as a red colour lump on the skin. It is made up of rapidly dividing cells of blood vessels called endothelial cells. This condition can be present since birth or become noticeable during infancy. In rare, adults can also get hemangioma. This is because people over 75 sometimes develop cherry hemangiomas. Hemangioma slowly disappears over time, so they aren’t life-threatening. Moreover, hemangioma starts to shrink in size when the baby is 12 to 18 months old. Therefore, often at the age of 10, it disappears completely.
Figure 01: Hemangioma
The typical characteristics of hemangioma may include a bulge on the skin, bright red to purple colour growth, between one-quarter to 2 inches in size lump, and bleeding due to friction (in rare cases). In children, hemangioma is caused due to improper formation of blood vessels during the pregnancy. But in adults, it is mainly caused after an injury or illness. The main risk factors for developing hemangioma include female gender, prematurity, low birth weight, and fair skin.
Hemangioma is diagnosed through physical or visual examination and imaging tests such as ultrasound. Furthermore, hemangioma fades away on its own. Anyhow, when it does not fade away, the treatment options for hemangioma may include beta-blockers such as oral propranolol or timolol gel or a steroid to shrink the blood vessels in the hemangioma that reduces the appearance and surgery.
What is Meningioma?
Meningioma is a tumor that occurs in the meninges. Meninges are the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Meningioma can be non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous. The typical characteristics of this condition are a lump in the meninges, changes in vision, headaches, hearing loss or ringing in the ears, loss of memory, loss of smell, seizures, weakness in the arms or legs, and language difficulty. Moreover, meningioma can be caused by genetic mutations, hormonal changes, and exposure to radiation. The risk factors for meningioma may include previous radiation therapy, female hormones, an inherited nervous system disorder, and obesity.
Figure 02: Meningioma
Meningioma is diagnosed through neurological examination, CT scan, MRI, and tumor biopsy. Furthermore, treatment options for meningioma may include surgery, radiation therapy (stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), proton beam radiation, and drug therapy.
What are the Similarities Between Hemangioma and Meningioma?
- Hemangioma and meningioma are two medical conditions that can form benign growths in different parts of the body.
- Both conditions can be found in both children and adults.
- They mainly affect women.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through visual examination and biopsies.
- They can be treated through specific surgeries.
What is the Difference Between Hemangioma and Meningioma?
Hemangioma is a bright red birthmark that appears on the skin at birth or in the first or second week of life, while meningioma is a tumor that forms in the meninges, which are the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. Thus, this is the key difference between hemangioma and meningioma. Furthermore, hemangioma is mainly found in children and rarely in adults, while meningioma is mainly found in adults and rarely found in children.
The below infographic presents the differences between hemangioma and meningioma in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Hemangioma vs Meningioma
Hemangioma and meningioma are two medical conditions that can cause the formation of benign growths in different parts of the body. However, they are different from each other. Hemangioma is a bright red birthmark that appears on the skin at birth or in the first or second week of life. In contrast, meningioma is a tumor that forms in the meninges that cover the brain and spinal cord. So, this summarizes the difference between hemangioma and meningioma.
Reference:
1. “Meningioma.” Mayo Clinic.
2. “Hemangioma: Types, Causes & Treatments.” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Infantile hemangioma” By Gstk – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Meningioma” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia