A neurosurgeon in Chiayi drew attention to meningioma after a 65-year-old man surnamed Liu (劉) was diagnosed with the disease.
Liu’s colleagues took him to the hospital in June after he suddenly felt weak at work, said Yang Jen-tsung (楊仁宗), an attending physician at the neurology department and vice superintendent at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Chiayi.
Liu was hospitalized and placed in a drug-induced coma, as he had a persistent fever and uncontrollable muscle spasms, Yang said, adding that Liu also bit his tongue and experienced other seizure-like symptoms.
COMATOSE
Liu was kept in the coma for three days and at one point his Glasgow coma scale score was three — the lowest possible — he added.
Liu’s wife, a Taoist priest, wanted to help her husband through religious rituals, saying that he had walked past the home of a mourning family, Yang said.
Liu was eventually transferred to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Chiayi Hospital, where Yang also works, he said.
He has undergone surgery and is recovering, Yang added.
Meninges are layers of tissue that cover the brain, he said.
Most meningiomas are benign, Yang said, adding that they grow slowly, and usually occur in people older than 70.
Common symptoms include frequent headaches, loss of balance, difficulty walking and seizures, he said.
There are many types of brain tumors, he said, adding that treatment differs depending on factors such as location and growth rate.
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