Brain Tumours Flashcards
Children are more likely to get supratentorial/infratentorial tumours?
Infratentorial
Benign tumours can kill. Why is this?
Simply due to their location within the brain
Secondary brain tumour - definition
Brain mets
often from breast, lung, kidney, thyroid
Which is most common: primary or secondary brain tumours?
Secondary brain tumours
Pathophysiology
Since the skull is rigid, if a tumour grows it has nowhere to go.
when a tumour is walnut sized the brain can’t compensate any further and there is a sudden increase in ICP.
Warning clinical features of raised ICP
Headache Papilloedema (fundoscopy)
In adults, most tumours arise from above/below the tentorium cerebelli
Above
In children, most tumours arise from above/below the tentorium cerebelli
Below
What is the most common type of tumour in children?
Medulloblastoma
Clinical features
Progressive, focal neurological deficit Headache Nausea and vomiting Motor weakness Seizures Personality changes
Clinical features - headache
Worse on lying down Worse with coughing Worse leaning forward Wakes patient up at night Worse in the morning
Focal neurological deficit - frontal lobe symptoms
Contralateral motor weakness (motor strip located here)
Personality changes
Urinary incontinence (Disruption of micturition inhibition centre)
Expressive dysphasia (Broca’s area)
Seizures
Focal neurological deficit - temporal lobe
Memory deficits Receptive dysphasia (Wernike's area) CN III palsy Blown pupil - unopposed sympathetic supply to the pupil Seizures
Focal neurological deficit - parietal lobe
Contralateral sensory weakness (sensory strip located here) Dyscalculia Dysgraphia Finger agnosia Left-right disorientation
Focal neurological deficit - occipital lobe
Visual symptoms
Contralateral homonymous hemianopia
Focal neurological deficit - cerebellum
Ipsilateral ataxia N+V Intention tremor Slurred speech Dizziness and vertigo
Tonsilar herniation - symptoms
Cushings triad
- hypertension
- bradycardia
- drop in GCS
Tonsilar herniation - emergency management
Diuretic (mannitol)
Surgery
Investigations
Fundoscopy
MRI scan
CT scan
Biopsy
First line investigation (and why)
Fundoscopy
- looks for papilloedema
Management options
Surgery
Chemotherapy
radiotherapy
Management - chemotherapy
Temozolomide
PCV
Carmustine wafers
Meningioma - definition
Benign
Slow growing
Growth of meninges
Which cells does meningioma arise from?
Mesenchymal cells
Meningioma - extrinsic/intrinsic tumour?
Extrinsic tumour
Meningioma usually infiltrates the brain. True or false?
False
Patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 are prone to which brain tumour?
Meningioma
Histologically benign, well demarcated tumour of the meninges. What is the diagnosis?
Meningioma
Meningioma - who gets it?
Elderly patients
Patients with neurofibromatosis type 2
Patients who experienced radiation in childhood
Meningioma - clinical features
Mainly asymptomatic
Headaches (due to raised ICP)
CN neuropathies
Meningioma - investigations
CT
- densely enhancing oedema
MRI
- patency of dural sinuses
Meningioma - management
Angiography +/- embolisation
Surgery
Radiotherapy
Meningioma - embolisation. Which arteries can you NOT embolise?
End arteries (eg ophthalmic artery)
What is the most common subtype of brain tumour in adults?
Astrocytoma (glioma)
Grade 1 glioma/astrocytoma
Truly benign
Low grade
Slow growing
Grade 1 glioma/astrocytoma - morphological features
Long hair like processes
Cystic areas
Grade 1 glioma/astrocytoma - mainly affects younger/older people?
Younger
- children, young adults
Grade 1 glioma/astrocytoma - common location in the brain
Cerebellum
Grade 1 glioma/astrocytoma - clinical features
Progressive headache Cerebellar involvement - wide based ataxia - difficulty speaking (staccato speech) - intention tremor
Grade 1 glioma/astrocytoma - investigations
MRI scan