From Headaches to Obstructive Ileus: Following the Dots

Abstract

Meningioma is considered the most frequently encountered intracranial tumour, one weighing towards the elder scale of age. Dependent on its specific location and the consequent mass effect, it can present with numerous varying symptoms ranging from dizziness and headaches to anosmia and paresis or can even be asymptomatic. It is mostly a benign entity which can, nevertheless, assume more aggressive characteristics. It may be a part of familial disorders, but it is most often encountered sporadically as an incidental finding. Though rather remote from and decisively distinct to the gastrointestinal tract, meningioma occurrence has been linked to the co-occurrence of another neoplasm of a less benign nature, namely the colorectal cancer (CRC). The latter is considered the second most common cancer with the highest mortality rate, though its gradual progression and its relative accessibility have emphasized the importance of screening tests. In this study we showcase a patient who presents with headaches and obstructive ileus and is then diagnosed with mucinous CRC and meningioma and we consequently prompted to investigate the genes whose expression can be altered in both of these neoplasms.