Brain Tumours

There are other types of brain tumors that do not begin in glial tissue. Some of the most common are described below:

  • Medulloblastomas were once thought to develop from glial cells. However, recent research suggests that these tumors develop from primitive (developing) nerve cells that normally do not remain in the body after birth. For this reason, medulloblastomas are sometimes called primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET). Most medulloblastomas arise in the cerebellum; however, they may occur in other areas as well. These tumors occur most often in children and are more common in boys than in girls.
  • Meningiomas grow from the meninges. They are usually benign. Because these tumors grow very slowly, the brain may be able to adjust to their presence; meningiomas often grow quite large before they cause symptoms. They occur most often in women between 30 and 50 years of age.
  • Schwannomas are benign tumors that begin in Schwann cells, which produce the myelin that protects the acoustic nerve, the nerve of hearing. Acoustic neuromas are a type of schwannoma. They occur mainly in adults. These tumors affect women twice as often as men.
  • Craniopharyngiomas develop in the region of the pituitary gland near the hypothalamus. They are usually benign; however, they are sometimes considered malignant because they can press on or damage the hypothalamus and affect vital functions. These tumors occur most often in children and adolescents.
  • Germ cell tumors arise from primitive (developing) sex cells, or germ cells. The most frequent type of germ cell tumor in the brain is the germinoma.
  • Pineal region tumors occur in or around the pineal gland, a tiny organ near the center of the brain. The tumor can be slow growing (pineocytoma) or fast growing (pineoblastoma). The pineal region is very difficult to reach, and these tumors often cannot be removed.

Symptoms

The most frequent symptoms of brain tumors include:

  • Headaches that tend to be worse in the morning and ease during the day,
  • Seizures (convulsions),
  • Nausea or vomiting,
  • Weakness or loss of feeling in the arms or legs,
  • Stumbling or lack of coordination in walking (ataxic gait),
  • Abnormal eye movements or changes in vision,
  • Drowsiness,
  • Changes in personality or memory, and
  • Changes in speech.

Diagnosis

Depending on the results of the physical and neurologic examinations, the doctor may request one or both of the following:

Treatment

 

 

 

 

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