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How to tell if my symptoms are due to Meningioma vs TMJ?
A recent MRI for headaches and balance concerns revealed a skull-based 1.5 x 0.5 x 1.4 cm sized meningioma. I have appointments with three neurosurgeons in March and am making a list of symptoms that overlap with my previously diagnosed TMJ disorder. Is there a way to separate the two problems to determine if I am experiencing symptoms from the meningioma before deciding on a treatment? Has anyone else in this group had this problem?
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@vernicek, depending on the location and size of a meningioma, symptoms can mimic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders by causingsymptoms such as pain and headaches. It's important to know that some meningiomas cause no symptoms at all. They are found "incidentally" when doing imaging for other reasons. This seems to be your situation.
You are wise to make a list of your symptoms. You might also include when they happen, for how long and the intensity on a scale from 1-3. Are there any triggers causing the symptoms, like time of day, activity you're doing, etc?
Have you had the appointment with the neurosurgeon? What did you learn?