Cerebral Infections & Tumours Flashcards
Name the three most common organisms causing bacterial meningitis in the first 3 months of life
Group B streptococcus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes
Name the three most common organisms causing bacterial meningitis in the first 1 month to 6 years of life
Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type B
Between which ages is TB meningitis most common?
6 months to 6 years
Name the most common causes of viral meningitis
Enteroviruses, cytomegalovirus (CMV), arbovirus
State at least 3 immune factors increasing susceptibility to meningitis
Young age, HIV, complement system defects, asplenia
Describe the appearance of the CSF in bacterial meningitis
Turbid, predominantly containing polymorphs (neutrophils), cell count 90-1000+, low glucose (<40), raised protein (often >250)
Describe the appearance of the CSF in TB meningitis
Fibrin web, predominantly mononuclear (lymphocytes), cell count 10-1000, low glucose (<40), normal or slightly raised protein (50-500)
Describe the appearance of the CSF in viral meningitis
Clear, predominantly mononuclear (lymphocytes), cell count 50-1000, normal glucose (>40), normal or slightly raised protein (<100)
State at least 5 causes of viral encephalitis
Enteroviruses, Herpes Simplex Virus 1 &2, Varicella zoster virus, adenoviruses, arboviruses, HIV, mumps, rubella, rabies
State the cause of subacute sclerosing pan-encephalitis (SSPE)
Past measles infection
Describe the clinical features of encephalitis
Drowsiness, seizures, behavioural changes, headache, fever
State the three most common sources of brain metastases
Lung cancer, breast cancer, malignant melanoma
Describe the appearance of brain metastases
Well demarcated solitary or multiple tumours with surrounding oedema
Which CNS tumour is associated with neurofibromatosis type II?
Meningioma
Name at least 3 ventricular tumours
Choroid plexus papilloma, ependymoma, germinoma, teratoma, meningioma
Name at least 3 skull base tumours
Chordoma, glomus jugulare, osteoma, chondrosarcoma
Name at least 2 sellar or suprasellar tumours
Pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma, optic nerve glioma, spindle cell oncocytoma
Name 2 posterior fossa tumours
Schwannoma, meningioma, metastases
Name at least 3 intra-axial supratentorial tumours
Astrocytoma, glioblastoma, oligodendroglioma, ganglioma, lymphoma, metastases
Name at least 5 neuroepithelial tumours
Astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, glioblastoma, oligoastrocytoma, ganglion cell tumours, cerebral neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumours (PNETs), pineal tumours
Name at least 2 meningeal tumours
Meningioma, mesenchymal tumour, haemangioblastoma
Name at least 2 germ cell tumours
Germinoma, teratoma, choriocarcinoma
Describe Von Hippel Lindau syndrome
Haemangiomas of the cerebellum, brainstem, spinal cord, and retina, with renal cysts and phaeochromocytomas. Caused by mutations in the VHL gene (one can be inherited but the other must mutate during life to create the condition; cannot be inherited homozygously)
Describe the cortical features of tuberous sclerosis
Giant cell astrocytoma, cortical tuber, subependymal nodules, calcifications on CT
