Written By: Tavishi Dogra | Updated : June 8, 2022 11:42 PM IST
World Brain Tumor Day, 8th June
World Brain Tumour Day 2022: The brain is a highly intricate and complex organ in the body. Every part has a typically assigned function to be performed. Ironically, in diseases like brain tumours, the symptoms are also varied and need to be looked into. Sometimes the presentation may be subtle and mimic disorders, but persistence and associated clinical signs should raise the alarm. Depending on the area of affection, symptoms will also result in generalised symptoms to the specific area related. To not miss signs, one needs to be thorough with brain anatomy and physiology. There is never a stereotype presentation in two identical patients with the same disease. Symptoms may be as simple as headaches that anyone can get, but persistent headaches warrant a checkup or raise suspicion. Neurosurgeon Vinod Rambal, Wockhardt Hospitals Mira Roadshares that if there are associated symptoms like vomiting, blurring of vision, seizures, and decline in mental ability, suspicion needs to be evaluated.
Tumours can arise from the covering layers of the brain, brain, and supporting brain cells. Tumours can be cancerous or non-cancerous varieties, and sometimes they travel from other parts of the brain. Tumours in the younger age group are usually congenital and, in comparison, much more ferocious. The actual reason, in most cases, can not be determined. Still, exposure to various chemicals, viruses or ionising radiation, inherited neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, and Von hipped Lindau disease are known.
Benign varieties in adults are meningiomas and malignant glioblastoma. Broadly if we look at the anatomy, the upper part called the cerebrum would usually have general symptoms of headache, seizures, visual disturbances, speech affection, or weakness in any extremity and tumours related to the cerebellum will result in addition to headache, imbalance, giddiness, hearing loss, vomiting or difficulty in swallowing or phonation. Although this area remains compact, anatomy and important vital structures in terms of life centres, brain stem, and various cranial nerve nuclei may present with a short duration and profound symptoms.
Regarding diagnosis, a detailed medical history is of paramount importance, and clinical neurological examination remains the cornerstone for diagnosing brain tumours. We should add an imaging diagnostic armamentarium to rule out any possibility of the sinister disease. However, a simple short, duration CT scan or more multiplane MRI can help diagnose and give detailed descriptions of the tumour in various formats.
Treatment majority of the time remains surgical removal or tissue biopsy without compromising functionality. In cancerous varieties, adjuvant therapy and surgery will be chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which have grown as a huge speciality.
