What are the key clinical features that may suggest a diagnosis of meningioma in a patient presenting with neurological symptoms?

Key clinical features suggesting meningioma in a patient with neurological symptoms include:

• Focal neurological deficits depending on tumour location, such as weakness, sensory changes, or cranial nerve palsies.
• Seizures, which may be a presenting symptom due to cortical irritation.
• Headache, often due to increased intracranial pressure or local mass effect.
• Cognitive or psychological changes, reflecting involvement of adjacent brain structures.
• Visual disturbances if the tumour is near the optic nerves or chiasm.
• Symptoms related to raised intracranial pressure such as nausea or vomiting.

These features arise because meningiomas are typically slow-growing extra-axial tumours that cause symptoms by compressing adjacent brain tissue or cranial nerves. Diagnosis is supported by MRI imaging, which is the initial diagnostic test of choice for suspected meningioma unless contraindicated ¹.