Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) Practice Exam

Which of the following tumors is typically benign, encapsulated, and arises from tissue covering the central nervous system?

1. Meningioma

2. Astrocytoma

3. Schwannoma

4. Oligodendroglioma

The correct answer is: Meningioma

The chosen answer is correct because meningiomas are tumors that arise from the meninges, which are the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. These tumors are typically benign and are well-encapsulated, making surgical removal feasible. Their growth is usually slow and they do not invade surrounding brain tissue, which contributes to the lower risk of serious complications compared to malignant tumors. In contrast, astrocytomas are glial cell tumors originating from astrocytes in the brain. They can vary widely in their aggressiveness, with high-grade variants being cancerous and invasive. Schwannomas, while also generally benign, arise from Schwann cells that form the myelin sheath around peripheral nerves rather than from meningeal tissue. Oligodendrogliomas are another type of glial tumor, characterized by their potential for malignancy and infiltrative growth, which makes them behave differently than well-encapsulated meningiomas.