Meningioma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of a meningioma (light-grey, centre left) in the brain a 71-year-old woman. The scan has been taken horizontally through the head and the front of the brain is top centre. A meningioma is a benign tumour arising from the meninges, the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. As it grows, a meningioma compresses adjacent brain tissue, and symptoms, such as headaches, are often related to this compression. Usually the tumourous growth can be removed by surgery, although sometimes radiotherapy is needed and new hormonal treatments are also being tested.