juxtasellar

  Have just been told I have a meningioma and something about a juxtasellar. What is that?? Also may have an aneurysm. How dangerous is this? Thanks for any info.
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Dear Shirley,
Juxtasellar refers to the location of the tumor in your head.  The sella, or sella turcica (turkish saddle, that's what it looks like), refers to the bony confines of the pituitary gland in the middle of the head, directly behind the eyes.
The vast majority of meningiomas are benign, slow-growing tumors.  They are tumors of the coverings of the brain, or meninges.  Meningiomas typically occur in certain locations, such as yours.
Aneurysms are often described as a 'blister' on an artery in the brain.  The vessel wall that comprises an aneurysm lacks all of the layers of a normal artery and is therefore prone to bleeding.  Aneurysms that have not bled have a yearly rate of bleeding of around 1-2%.  When an aneurysm bleeds it is called a subarachnoid hemorrhage and can be a very serious situation.
You should speak to a neurosurgeon for an opinion on both the meningioma and the aneurysm.  Whether surgery is necessary for either is not clear from the posted information.  Should surgery be recommended, it may be possible to clip the aneurysm at the same time the meningioma is removed.
Regardless, you should have a neurosurgeon take a look at it.
Good luck.