The American Brain Tumor Association has put together an excellent introductory resource on brain tumors. Information on the following tumor types is excerpted (in quotes) from the primer. Please refer directly to the American Brain Tumor Association Primer for the document in it’s entirety.
Archive for September, 2002
American Brain Tumor Association Primer
Sunday, September 29th, 2002ABTA Primer-Chondrosarcoma
Sunday, September 29th, 2002The American Brain Tumor Association Primer offers the following information on Chondrosarcoma.
“CHONDROSARCOMA
This very rare tumor arises from bone and is composed of cartilage. It is the malignant variant of the benign chondroma (described above) and tends to spread locally, staying within the same general area. This tumor is generally slow growing and rarely metastasizes, or spreads, to areas farther away. This tumor is most commonly found in the sphenoid bone – the boney ridge running along the back of the eyes – or near the clivus, a boney area at the base of the skull. The chondrosarcoma is more common in adult males.
Standard treatment is surgical removal which might be followed with radiation therapy. Those with a chondrosarcoma may also be eligible for treatment in a clinical trial – an organized research study. Those studies can be found through the Cancer Information Service at 800-422-6237.”
ABTA Primer-Astrocytoma
Sunday, September 29th, 2002ABTA primer excerpt Copyright ABTA
“ASTROCYTOMA
Astrocytomas are tumors that arise from astrocytes – cells that make up the “glue-like” or supportive tissue of the brain. These cells are named for their star‑like shape. About 60% of all primary brain tumors are astrocytomas. These tumors are “graded” by the pathologist to indicate how normal, or how abnormal, the cells of the tumor look. Grade I astrocytomas have slightly unusual looking cells; the cells of a grade IV astrocytoma are very abnormal in appearance. The astrocytoma section below describes the various grades of these tumors. The list begins with grade I tumors and progresses through grade IV astrocytomas.
Sometimes, terms describing the location or the appearance of an astrocytoma may be attached to it’s name. For example, a butterfly glioma is a high grade astrocytoma that has spread through both sides of the brain, causing a “butterfly” appearance on scans. A cerebellar astrocytoma is an astrocytoma found in the cerebellum of the brain.”
For Patients-Acoustic Neuroma
Sunday, September 29th, 2002ABTA primer excerpt Copyright ABTA
ACOUSTIC NEUROMA
ALSO CALLED NEURILEMMOMA, VESTIBULAR SCHWANNOMA OR NEURINOMA
The acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor of the nerve of hearing (the 8th cranial nerve). It is located in the angle between the cerebellum and the pons, in the posterior fossa (the back of the skull). This tumor usually grows very slowly.
Acoustic neuromas typically occur in adults, particularly in their middle years. Females are twice as likely to have this tumor as males. Acoustic neuromas account for fewer than 7.5% of all primary brain tumors.
Tumors on both sides (bilateral) are rare, and tend to be familial. They are almost always associated with neurofibromatosis 2, a hereditary condition. The malignant form of this tumor, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), is extremely rare.
Common symptoms are one-sided hearing loss and buzzing or ringing in the ear. Dizziness may also occur, but is less common. If the tumor also affects the facial nerve (the 7th cranial nerve) located next to the 8th nerve, facial paralysis can occur. Other symptoms include difficulty in swallowing, impaired eye movement, taste disturbances, and unsteadiness.
Total removal using microsurgical techniques is often possible. Stereotactic radiosurgery might be used as an alternate to surgery for some patients.
For more information about acoustic neuromas, contact the Acoustic Neuroma Association · PO Box 12402 · Atlanta, GA 30355 · (404) 237-8023 · Fax (404) 237-2704 · E-mail ANAUSA@aol.com · http://www.ANAUSA.org
Brain Tumors Research Home Page
Sunday, September 29th, 2002Report of the NIH Progress Review Group (PRG) may be found here.
Tumor Classifications
Sunday, September 29th, 2002List of tumor classifications
Median Nerve Entrapment Syndrome
Saturday, September 28th, 2002To be filled in. Pending.
Ulnar Nerve Entrapment Syndromes
Saturday, September 28th, 2002Emedicine Introductory text. Here.
Ulnar nerve entrapment is common. Second in frequency only to Median Nerve entrapment. The nerve has a superficial position at the elbow.
Welcome Practitioners
Saturday, September 28th, 2002We’re interested your feedback. Feel free to use the Create a new topic button at left to make comments about the site overall.
A list of topics is found below. There is also a search engine at left that you may use to access topics directly.
- Brain
- Aneurysms
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Tumors
- Spine
- Cervical degenerative disease
- Lumbar degenerative disease
- Peripheral nerve
- Ulnar nerve
- Median nerve
Welcome Patients
Saturday, September 28th, 2002Patients seeking information on a neurosurgical condition may have heard a very generic or technical name for their diagnosis. Below are provided listings for both types of information that you may have grouped by disease categories. This classification is constantly being updated so some links may not be activated.
- Spine Disorders
- Neck pain and disorders
- Back pain and disorders
- Disc herniations
- Brain Diseases
- Tumors
- American Brain Tumor Association Primer
- Aneurysms
- Arteriovenous malformations
- Hydrocephalus
- Conditions diagnosed at birth and in infancy