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Brain tumour is a collection of abnormal cells or mass inside a brain. Our brain is surrounded by the skull, which is very rigid. Any growth inside such a restricted space can cause problems. Though brain tumours are rare, they are common in children than adults. A brain tumour can be both cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign). Any growing tumours can increase the pressure inside our skull and an increased pressure can cause a brain damage. Brain tumours can cause eye-related problems, and even loss of vision in some patients. As we observe World Brain Tumour Day 2021, Dr PN Renjen, Stroke Neurologist, Institutes of Neurosciences, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, joins us to shed light on how brain tumours affect vision in patients.
A vision problem can develop when a tumour causes pressure on a certain area of the brain. The occipital lobe is responsible for processing everything that a person sees, a tumour in that region of the brain can cause multiple issues. Also, a tumour affecting the brain stem can result in double vision. Eye problems can also occur when a tumour exerts pressure on the optic nervous or if the pressure within the skull causes the back of eye to swell.
If a tumour exerts enough pressure on the optic nerve, blindness can occur. In many patients, loss of vision can be gradual, beginning with blurry or double vision and resulting in increasing blind spots. A growing tumour can exert more pressure on the optic nerve and cause a greater vision loss. Hence, it's critical to discuss vision related problems with an ophthalmologist or a primary care doctor.
Orbital tumours can cause vision problems and blindness since they grow into the bony sockets that hold eyes, nerves and connective tissues that control eye movements. Some common orbital tumours include :-
A brain tumour can be of different types. Here are some of them :-
Symptoms of brain tumour one should be aware of
The symptoms of brain tumour depend on the location and size of tumours. Tumours can cause both direct and indirect damage to the brain. Damage can be caused by the invasion of brain tissues and pressure caused on the surrounding brain.
Mode of treatment
Advances in technology have made the treatment for brain tumour safer than ever before. Tumours which were initially considered inoperable can now be safely operated upon, some can be cured even without a surgery. MRI scan is usually the mode of diagnosis administered for locating and knowing the characteristics of the brain tumours. It is always advised to visit your doctors on experiencing any of the unusual symptoms, a timely diagnosis can always help a doctor in treating a case better.