tumours Flashcards
is primary or secondary brain tumours more common
secondary (mets)
symptoms of brain tumour
-headaches
-seizures
-N&V
-blurred vision
-weakness/paralysis
-speech problems
-mental/personality changes
CANCER headache
-worse on lying down or in morning
-associated N&V
-headache pattern in erratic
-tension like
-vomiting is prolonged and repetitive
-new motor weakness
-worsens with valsalva
where can the tumours come from
-mets
-meninges
-neuroepithelial tissue
-nerve sheath cells
-germ cells
-haemapoetic/lymphomas
astrocytoma WHO grading
I - pilocytic astrocytoma
II - low grade astrocytoma
III - anaplastic astrocytoma
IV - glioblastoma multiforme
pilocytic astrocytoma
-benign, slow growing
-most common in children
-often seen around cerebellum, brainstem
treatment for a pilocytic astrocytoma
surgical resection
low grade astrocytoma
benign
-vascular proliferation
-abnormal nucleus
-usually in temporal lobe or around central gyrus
treatment for a low grade astrocytoma
surgery +/- radiation or chemo
anaplastic astrocytoma
malignant
nucleus is rly rly weird
mitoses
can happen by itself or come from a lower grade one
survival 2 years
glioblastoma multiforme
-necrosis and neovascularisation
-BUTTERFLY appearance
-survival is less than 1 year
-rarely mets outside the brain
treatment
non-curative
-surgery
-radiotherapy
-cant drive after operation because of seizure risk
what type of tumour is an oligodendroglioma
glial tumour
where are oligodendrogliomas found
frontal lobes usually
features of oligodendrogliomas
-calcification
-cysts
-peritumoural haemorrhage
-greyish pink
-subarachnoid accumulations give TOOTHPASTE APPEARANCE
treatment for oligodendrogliomas
surgery
chemo
radiotherapy
is a meningioma benign or malignant
BENIGN
meningioma features
-extra-axial
-often asymptomatic
-headache, regional anatomical disturbance
-slow growing
what is a meningioma en plaque
carpet/sheet like lesion infiltrating dura
treatment for meningiomas
-surgery
-radiotherapy
-5 year survival 90%
CT results for meningioma
-homogenous
-densely enhancing
-oedema
MRI of a meningioma
-dural tail
-patent dural sinuses
types of nerve sheath tumours
-shwannomas
-neurofibromas
-acoustic neuroma
-cerebellopontine angle tumour
symptoms of nerve sheath tumours
-hearing loss
-tinnitus
-dysequilibrium
-can affect CN 5 and 7 (lose blink reflex)
-brainstem (hydrocephalus)
who gets germ cell (pineal) tumours
under 20 yrs
males
what does a pineal tumour look like on CT
hyperdense and enhancing
two types of pineal tumour
germinomas and non-germinatous
what should be checked for any midline brain tumour in child
-AFP
-beta-HCG
-LDH
features of a hemangioblastoma
-bening
-cystic
-very vascular
-associated VHL
name the low grade tumours
- Meningiomas
- Acoustic neuromas
- Pituiary tumours
- Pineal tumours
- Craniopharyngiomas
- Neurofibromas
name the high grade tumours
- Gliomas and glioblastoma multiforme
- Primary cerebral lymphomas
- Medulloblastomas
