Childhood tumor

The course of glioma varies depending on its pathological type and location, and the time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis is generally several weeks to months, with some reaching several years. High malignancy and posterior cranial fossa tumors have a relatively short medical history, while benign tumors or tumors located in the so-called quiet zone have a longer medical history. If there is bleeding or cyst formation in tumors, the progression of symptoms can be accelerated, and some may even resemble the development process of cerebrovascular diseases.

The symptoms mainly manifest in two aspects. One is increased intracranial pressure and other general symptoms, such as headache, vomiting, decreased vision, diplopia, seizures, and psychiatric symptoms. Another is the local symptoms caused by the compression, infiltration, and destruction of brain tissue by tumors, resulting in neurological dysfunction.

headache

Headaches are mostly caused by increased intracranial pressure, as tumors grow and intracranial pressure gradually increases, compressing and pulling on sensitive structures such as blood vessels, dura mater, and certain cranial nerves, resulting in headaches. Most of them are jumping pain and bloating pain, mostly located in the frontal and temporal or occipital regions. One side of the brain hemisphere is a superficial tumor, and the headache can mainly occur on the affected side. The headache starts intermittently and often occurs in the morning. As the tumor develops, the headache gradually worsens and lasts longer.

vomit

Vomiting is caused by stimulation of the vomiting center or vagus nerve in the medulla oblongata, and may initially have no nausea, resulting in ejaculation. In children, headache may not be significant due to cranial suture separation, and vomiting may be more prominent due to the prevalence of posterior cranial fossa tumors.

Elevated intracranial pressure

Elevated intracranial pressure can lead to nipple edema and long-term secondary atrophy of the optic nerve, resulting in decreased vision. Tumor compression of the optic nerve can cause primary optic nerve atrophy and also lead to decreased vision. The abductor nerve is easily compressed and pulled, often causing paralysis and resulting in diplopia.

epilepsy

Some cancer patients have epilepsy symptoms, which can be early symptoms. Epilepsy begins in adulthood, and the latter is generally symptomatic, mostly caused by brain tumors. Those who are difficult to control with medication or have changes in the nature of the attack should consider the presence of brain tumors. Epilepsy is more likely to occur in tumors adjacent to the cortex, while it is less common in those with deep tumors. Localized epilepsy has localization significance.

Some tumors, especially those located in the frontal lobe, may gradually develop mental symptoms, such as personality changes, indifference, reduced speech and activity, lack of concentration, decreased memory, lack of care for things, and lack of cleanliness.

Local symptoms

Local symptoms gradually worsen depending on the location of the tumor. Especially malignant gliomas, which grow rapidly, infiltrate and damage brain tissue, have significant peripheral brain edema, and local symptoms are more obvious and develop rapidly. In the early stages of intraventricular tumors or tumors located in the quiescent zone, there may be no local symptoms. In the early stages of tumors in important functional areas such as the brainstem, local symptoms appear, and it takes a considerable amount of time for symptoms of increased intracranial pressure to appear. Some tumors with slower development often exhibit symptoms of increased intracranial pressure in the late stage due to compensatory effects.