Primary Brain Strokes

Primary brain tumors originate in your brain. They can develop from your:

Brain cells

The membranes that enclose your brain, which is called meninges

Nerve cells

Glands

Primary tumors can be benign or cancerous. In adults, the most common types of brain tumors are gliomas and meningiomas.

 

Gliomas

Gliomas are tumors that develop from glial cells. These cells:

• Support the structure of your central nervous system
• Provide nutrition to your central nervous system
• Clean cellular waste
• Break down dead neurons

Gliomas develop from a variety of glial cells.

 

The types of tumors that begin in glial cells are:

• Astrocytic tumors such as astrocytomas, which originate in the cerebrum and are often benign.
• Oligodendroglial tumors, which are often found in the frontal temporal lobes. Glioblastomas, which originate from the supportive brain tissue and are the most aggressive type.
• Meningiomas, which originate in the meninges. Schwannomas, which originate in cells that produce the protective cover of your nerves (myelin sheath) called Schwann cells.
• Most meningiomas and schwannomas occur in people between the ages of 40 and 70.
•  Meningiomas are more common in women than in men.
• Schwannomas occur equally in both men and women.

 

These tumors are usually benign, but they can cause complications because of their size and location. Cancerous meningiomas and schwannomas can be very aggressive.

 

Other Primary Brain Tumors

Other primary brain tumors include:

 

• Pituitary tumors, which are usually benign
• Pineal gland tumors, which can be benign or malignant
• Ependymomas, which are usually benign
• Craniopharyngiomas, which occur mostly in children and are benign but can have clinical symptoms like changes in vision and premature puberty
• Primary brain lymphomas, which are malignant
• Primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphomas, which are malignant
• Primary germ cell tumors of the brain, which can be benign or malignant

Secondary Brain Strokes

Secondary brain tumors make up the majority of brain cancers. They start in one part of the body and spread, or metastasize, to the brain. The following can metastasize to the brain:

 

• Lung Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Kidney Cancer
• Skin Cancer

Secondary brain tumors are always malignant. Benign tumors don’t spread from one part of your body to another.

What Are the Symptoms of a Brain Strokes?

How Are Brain Tumors Diagnosed?

Diagnosis of a brain tumor begins with a physical exam and a look at your medical history.

 

The physical exam includes a very detailed neurological examination. Our doctor will conduct a test to see if your cranial nerves are intact. These are the nerves that originate in your brain.

 

Our doctor will look inside your eyes with an ophthalmoscope, which is an instrument that shines a light through your pupils and onto your retinas. This allows Our doctor to check how your pupils react to light. It also allows Our doctor to look directly into your eyes to see if there’s any swelling of the optic nerve. When pressure increases inside the skull, changes in the optic nerve can occur.

 

The doctor may also evaluate your:

• Muscle strength
• Coordination
• Memory
• Ability to do mathematical calculations

Our doctor may order more tests after they finish the physical exam. These could include:

 

CT Scan of the Head

CT scans are ways for Our doctor get a more detailed scan of your body than they could with an X-ray machine. This can be done with or without contrast.

 

Contrast is achieved in a CT scan of the head by using a special dye that helps doctors see some structures, like blood vessels, more clearly. You often have to fast before a CT scan that’s using contrast.

 

MRI of the Head

If you have an MRI of your head, a special dye can be used to help Our doctor detect tumors. An MRI is different from a CT scan because it doesn’t use radiation

 

Angiography

This study uses a dye that’s injected into your artery, usually in the groin area. The dye travels to the arteries in your brain. It allows Our doctor to see what the blood supply of the tumors looks like. This information is useful at the time of treatment.

 

Brain Scan

A Brain scan uses a harmless radioactive dye that’s injected into a vein. When the dye goes through the veins in the tumor, an image is taken.

 

Skull X-Rays

Brain tumors can cause breaks or fractures in the bones of the skull, and specific X-rays can show if this has occurred. These X-rays can also pick up calcium deposits, which are sometimes contained within a tumor. Calcium deposits may be in your bloodstream if your cancer has moved to your bones.

 

Biopsy

A Small piece of the tumor is obtained during a biopsy. A specialist called a neuropathologist will examine it. The biopsy will identify if the tumor cells are benign or malignant. It will also determine whether

cancer originated in your brain or another part of your body.