CNS Tumors - Exam 3 Flashcards
_____ is responsible for personality characteristics, decision making,
voluntary muscle movement, speech production, short term memory
frontal lobe
_____ lobe is responsible for the sense of touch and interpretation of objects and space
Parietal
_____ lobe is responsible for short and long-term memory, understanding of speech,
hearing and emotions
temporal lobe
____ lobe is responsible for visual sense and interpretation
occipital lobe
____ lobe is responsible for coordination, balance and equilibrium
cerebellum
Cranial nerves _____ through ____ all arise from the brainstem
3-12 all arise from the brainstem
Symptoms of a CNS tumor will reflect one of 3 pathological processes. What are they? How do the symptoms present?
Functional area of the brain involved
Compression of adjacent structures
Increased intracranial pressure
insidious in onset and can be general or focal
Generalized symptoms of a CNS tumor often present like _______
increased intracranial pressure
_____ is the most common manifestation of brain tumors and is often the worst symptom– occurs in 50% of patients. Describe them
HA
HA’s are often nonspecific and resemble tension-type headaches (40-80%) or migraines
What are the characteristics of a HA that is consistent with a CNS tumor?
dull, constant ache, occasional throbbing
bifrontal with increased pain on the same side of the tumor
progresses over time
pain increases with change in body position or any raises in ICP
pain at night or pain that wakes you up from sleep
**What are the red flag symptoms associated with HA?
What is the N/V associated with CNS tumors due to? What can trigger them that would make you think it is due to CNS tumor?
due to increased ICP
Emesis triggered by abrupt change in body position
Neurogenic emesis – emesis present with other neurological symptoms such as headache or neuro deficits
HA
N/V
Altered Level of Consciousness/Syncope
seizure
neurocognitive dysfunction
What am I?
CNS tumor
In CNS tumors, what is the Altered Level of Consciousness/Syncope due to? What is it triggered by?
Significant rise in ICP can lead to a loss of cerebral perfusion resulting in diminished and loss of consciousness
Triggered by position change or activities that further increase ICP
Syncope due to increased ICP may results in ______
seizure activity
_____ are one of the most common symptoms in primary and metastatic tumors. What do these depend on?
Focal seizures
intensity, type and frequency depends on the location of the tumor
What lobe? _____ focal tonic-clonic movements involving one extremity, inability to perform cognitive tasks
Frontal lobe
What lobe? _____ visual disturbances
occipital lobe
What lobe? ______ abrupt behavioral/memory changes with or without aura
temporal lobe
What lobe? _____ sensory seizures
auditory and/or tactile hallucinations or numbness in a part of the body
parietal lobe
What are focal symptoms clinical presentation based on?
functional location of tumor or compression of surrounding structures
What lobe?
Personality changes
Progressive intellectual decline
Difficulty with concentration and memory
Expressive aphasia
anosmia
contralateral weakness
frontal lobe
What is expressive aphasia? What region of the brain?
Word finding hesitation or word substitutions
able to think clearly but not able to expressive themselves verbally
Broca’s region
What is anosmia? What part of the ____ lobe?
the partial or total loss of the ability to smell due to pressure on the olfactory nerve
base of the frontal lobe
Sensory seizures: tactile hallucinations
Contralateral disturbances of sensation: loss of sensation that is NOT consistent with dermatomes
astereognosis
Visuospatial deficit, R/L awareness
What lobe?
Parietal Lobe Lesions
Homonymous hemianopia
Loss of color perception
Sensory seizure- visual hallucinations
Prosopagnosia
Visual Simultagnosia
What lobe?
What is Prosopagnosia?
What is Simultagnosia?
occipital lobe
Prosopagnosia: Inability to recognize a familiar face
Simultagnosia: Inability to integrate and interpret a composite scene as opposed to its individual elements
Olfactory (smell) or gustatory (taste) hallucinations
Auditory illusions or hallucination
Motor phenomena such as licking or smacking of the lips
Depersonalization, emotional or behavioral changes
Sensations of déjà vu
long-term memory impairment
Lack of language comprehension (Wernicke’s)
What lobe?
What is the difference between illusions or hallucinations?
temporal
illusion have stimulus and hallucinations do NOT have a stimulus
Cranial nerve palsies (III - XII)
Ataxic gait
Nystagmus
Altered reflexes
Where is the lesion?
brainstem
Marked ataxia of the trunk
Incoordination and hypotonia of the limbs
Where is the lesion?
cerebellar lesion
What is the classic triad of ICP?
headache, nausea/vomiting, and papilledema
What are 3 pathophysiologic processes that result in ICP?
Large mass
Restriction of CSF outflow causing hydrocephalus
Disruption of the blood brain barrier by angiogenesis of the tumor leading to edema
What are 3 types of herniation due to ICP?
subfalcial
transtentorial/uncal
cerebellar-foramen magnum/tonsillar
a subfalcial herniation may occlude the _______ leading to _____ lobe infarction
anterior cerebral artery
frontal
position 1
a transtentorial/uncal herniation compresses _______, midbrain and ________. What does it lead to?
compression of CN III
posterior cerebral artery
Leads to ipsilateral pupillary dilation, followed by stupor, coma, decerebrate posturing, and respiratory arrest
aka a unilateral blown pupil is NOT GOOD
position 2
Cerebellar–foramen magnum/tonsillar compression of the ______ causing apnea, circulatory collapse, and death
medulla
position 3
What is the imaging of choice for a CNS tumor? Why is it better?
MRI Brain with contrast (gadolinium)
Detects the lesion and defines its location, shape, and size. Can detect normal anatomy distortion. demonstrates the degree of any associated cerebral edema or mass effect