Brain tumours Flashcards
What are space occupying lesions in the head?
Tumours
Bleeding- haematoma
Abscess
What can result from SOLs in the head?
Raised ICP
Cranial herniation
What are the categories of herniation?
- Right- left shift
- Left-right shift
- Subfalcine herniation- under falx. Midline shift
- Cerebrum moves inferiorly over edge of tentorium cerebelli- uncal herniation
- Cerebellum moves inferiorly into foramen magnum- ‘coning’ of tonsils
What are the symptoms and signs of localised brain lesions?
Morning headaches
Sickness
Papilledema
Pupillary dilation
Falling GCS
Brainstem death
What are the categories of intracranial tumours?
Primary
Secondary- metastasise from other sites
What are example of primary CNS tumours?
Glioma- glioblastoma, astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, ependymoma
Medulloblastoma
Meningioma
Schwannoma
Pituitary adenoma
Lymphoma
Hemangioblastoma
What are the common sites of secondary CNS tumours?
- Breast
- Lung
- Kidney
- Colon
- Melanoma
What is a glioma?
Tumour of glial brain cells
Astrocytes = astrocytoma + glioblastoma
Oligodendrocytes= oligodendroglioma
Ependymal cells= ependymoma
What is glioblastoma multiforme?
GBM is most common type of primary malignant brain tumour in adults
Most aggressive
Forms in astrocytes
Fast growing
Rarely spread systemically
What is medulloblastoma?
Tumour of primitive neuroectoderm
Sheets of small undifferentiated cells
Children
What is meningioma?
From arachnocytes that make up the meninges
Benign- resectable
Bland cells forming small groups sometimes within calcification (Psammoma body)
What is schwannoma?
Tumour of Schwann cells
E.g. Acoustic neuroma- schwannoma of CNVIII at cerebello-pontine angle
What is pituitary adenoma?
Benign tumour of pituitary fossa that secrete pituitary hormone
Can impinge on optic chiasma
What is lymphoma?
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma
High grade neoplasm
Deep and central in brain
What is hemangioblastoma?
Tumour of blood vessels
May bleed
