Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
What is the clinical presentation of someone with an intracranial mass?
|
Increased ICP
-Mass effect of tumor -Hydrocephalus Focal symptoms based on location Seizures Hemorrhage |
|
|
Case:
8YO male Headaches, lethargy, neck pain, sudden loss of consciousness consciousness |
Can be caused by hydrocephalus, among other things
|
|
|
Case:
70 YO woman Headaches, forgetfulness, personality changes, problems with ADLs over past 3 MO |
Frontal lobe problems
|
|
|
What are characteristics of frontal lobe mass lesions?
|
Behavioral change
Poor decision making Decreased work performance Motor weakness (if posterior) |
|
|
What are characteristics of parietal mass lesions?
|
Contralateral motor weakness (if anterior)
Contralateral sensory changes |
|
|
What are some characteristics of dominant parietal lobe syndromes?
|
Agraphia without alexia
Right/left disorientation Acalculia: Loss of the ability to perform simple arithmetic calculations Finger agnosia: inability to interpret sensations |
|
|
What are some of the characteristics of temporal lobe lesions?
|
Language disturbances
Memory/visual impairment Seizures are common |
|
|
What are some of the characteristics of cerebellar lesions?
|
Hydrocephalus
Gait ataxia Dysmetria of the arms: a lack of coordination of movement typified by the undershoot or overshoot of intended position Speech changes (fluency, pitch) |
|
|
What are the advantages of CT for brain imaging? Disadvantages?
|
Advantages:
Fast Very available Can be done without sedation Disadvantages: Radiation Less |
|
|
What are the advantages of MRI for brain imaging? Disadvantages?
|
Advantgaes:
No radiation More accurate Disadvantages: Slower Less available Sedation required |
|
|
What's the use of spectroscopy in the brain?
|
It allows you to see if there are characteristic patterns of metabolism in the brain tissue that allow you to differentiate between different types of pathologies
|
|
|
What's on your differential for tumor-like masses in the brain?
|
Congenital:
Arachnoid cyst Hematoma Inflammatory: Acute demylenating processes MS Infectious: Bacterial abscess Fungal/parasitic Herpes encephalitis Vascular: AVM Intracranial aneurysm Intracranial hemorrhage |
|
|
If there's a tumor in the posterior fossa, what types of tumors should you think?
|
Pliocytic astrocytoma
Brainstem glioma Medulloblastoma Ependymoma |
|
|
If you have a tumor that's metastasized to the brain, what type is it, most likely?
|
1. LUNG (70%)
2. Breast (20%) |
|
|
What are some of your options when presented with an intracranial mass?
|
Serial imaging: is the tumor growing/not?
Tissue diagnosis: invasive, depends on what the patient wants |
|
|
What are indications for resecting a tumor vs. performing a biopsy?
|
It's in an accessible part of the brain
|
|
|
What are the benefits to resection vs. biopsy?
|
Reducing the mass effect controls the symptoms
You have a better prognosis from reducing the tumor cells |
|
|
In what situations should biopsy rather than resect?
|
If the tumor is located in a more eloquent cortex.
|
|
|
What occurs during an operation that assists with management of a patient?
|
Frozen sections
Lets you know what kind of a tumor it is: should I take it all out; what are the margins, etc. |
|
|
What are some other treatment modalities for intracranial masses?
|
Corticosteroids: palliative for people with lots of edema
Chemo: dependent on tissue type Radiation: depends on the tissue type. |
