Signs of a brain tumor

The global increase in cancer morbidity, at least, causes fears. Only over the past 10 years, it amounted to more than 15%. Moreover, not only morbidity rates but also mortality increase. Tumors begin to occupy a leading position among diseases of various organs and systems. In addition, there is a significant "rejuvenation" of tumor processes. According to statistics, in the world of 27 000 people a day learn about the presence of oncological diseases. In a day... Think about these data... In many ways the situation is complicated by late diagnosis of tumors, when it is almost impossible to help a patient.

Tumors of the brain, although not the leaders among all the cancer processes, nevertheless represent a danger to human life. In this article we will talk about what the brain tumor manifests itself, what symptoms it causes.

Basic information about brain tumors

A brain tumor is any tumor located inside the skull. This type of cancer process is,% of all tumors known to medicine. They occur at any age, regardless of sex. Tumors of the brain can be benign and malignant. Also they are divided into:

• primary tumors (formed from nerve cells, brain membranes, cranial nerves). The incidence of primary tumors in Russia is 12-14 cases per 100 000 population per year;
• secondary, or metastatic (these are the results of "infection" of the brain with tumors of another localization through the blood). Secondary brain tumors are more common than primary: according to some data, the incidence rate is 30 cases per 100 000 population per year. These tumors are malignant.

According to the histological type, there are more than 120 types of tumors. Each type has its own features not only in the structure, but also in the speed of development, location. However, all brain tumors of any kind unite the fact that they are all Plus-tissue inside the skull, that is, grow in a limited space, squeezing nearby located structures. It is this fact that allows us to combine the symptoms of various tumors into a single group.

Signs of a brain tumor

All the symptoms of a brain tumor are divided into three varieties:

• local, or local: arise at the place of origin of the tumor. This is the result of the compression of the tissues. Sometimes they are also called primary;
• distant, or dislocation: develop as a result of edema, displacement of brain tissue, circulatory disorders. That is, they become a manifestation of the pathology of parts of the brain located at a distance from the tumor. They are also called secondary, because for their occurrence it is necessary that the tumor grow to a certain size, which means that initially primary symptoms will exist in isolation for a while;
• cerebral symptoms: a consequence of increased intracranial pressure due to tumor growth.

Primary and secondary symptoms are considered focal, which reflects their morphological nature. Since each part of the brain has a specific function, the "problems" in this area (the hearth) manifest themselves as specific symptoms. Focal and cerebral symptoms individually do not indicate the presence of a tumor of the head brain, but if they exist in combination, they become a diagnostic criterion of the pathological process.

Some symptoms can be attributed to focal and to cerebral (for example, headache as a result of irritation of the cerebral shell tumor at its location - this is a focal symptom, and as a result of increased intracranial pressure - cerebral).

What kind of symptoms will appear first, it is difficult to say, because the location of the tumor affects this. In the brain there are so-called "dumb" zones, the compression of which is not manifested clinically for a long time, which means that focal symptoms do not appear first, yielding to the palm of the general cerebral primacy.

General cerebral symptoms

Headacheis, perhaps, the most common of the cerebral symptoms. And in 35% of cases in general is the first sign of a growing tumor.

The headache is bursting, pressing inside from the character. There is a feeling of pressure on the eyes. The pain is diffuse, without any clear localization. If the headache acts as a focal symptom, that is, as a result of local irritation of the pain receptors of the brain's membrane with a tumor, then it can have a purely local character.

Initially, the headache may be periodic, but then it becomes permanent and persistent, completely resistant to any pain medication. In the morning hours, the intensity of the headache may be even higher than in the afternoon or evening. This is easy to explain. In fact, in a horizontal position, in which a person spends a nap, the outflow of liquor and blood from the skull becomes more difficult. And in the presence of a brain tumor, he doubles the difficulty. After a person spends some time in an upright position, the outflow of liquor and blood improves, the intracranial pressure decreases, and the headache decreases.

Nausea and vomitingare also cerebral symptoms. They have features that distinguish them from similar symptoms in poisoning or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Brain vomiting is not associated with eating, does not cause relief. Often accompanies a headache in the morning (even on an empty stomach). Regularly repeated. At the same time there are no abdominal pains and other dyspeptic disorders, the appetite does not change.

Vomiting can be a focal symptom. This happens in cases of the location of the tumor in the region of the bottom of the IV ventricle. In this case, its occurrence is associated with a change in the position of the head and can be combined with vegetative reactions in the form of sudden sweating, irregular heartbeat, changes in the rhythm of breathing, changes in skin color integuments. In some cases, even a loss of consciousness may occur. With this localization, vomiting is accompanied by persistent hiccups.

Dizzinesscan also occur with increased intracranial pressure, when the tumor is squeezed by the vessels that supply the blood supply to the brain. It does not have any specific signs that distinguish it from dizziness in other brain diseases.

Visual impairment and congestive optic discsare almost mandatory symptoms of a brain tumor. However, they appear at the stage when the tumor exists for quite some time and has considerable dimensions (except for the location of the tumor in the visual pathway). Changes in visual acuity are not corrected by lenses and are constantly progressing. Patients complain of fog and shroud before their eyes, often rub their eyes, trying in such a way to eliminate image defects.

Disorders of the psychemay also be a consequence of increased intracranial pressure. It starts with a memory impairment, attention, ability to concentrate. Patients are scattered, hovering in the clouds. Often emotionally unstable, and in the absence of an excuse. Quite often, these signs are the first symptoms of a growing brain tumor. As the size of the tumor increases and the growth of intracranial hypertension, inadequacy in behavior, "strange" jokes, aggressiveness, foolishness, euphoria and so on can appear.

Generalized epileptic seizuresin 1/3 of patients become the first symptom of a tumor. Arise against a background of complete well-being, however they tend to repeat. The emergence of generalized epileptic seizures for the first time in life (not including people who abuse alcohol) is a formidable and very likely symptom for a brain tumor.

Focal Symptoms

Progression of the tumor process makes such patients disabled.

Depending on the location in the brain where the tumor begins to develop, the following symptoms may occur:

• disorders of sensitivity: it can be numbness, burning, a feeling of crawling, a decrease in sensitivity in certain parts of the body, its increase (touch causes pain) or loss, inability to determine a given position of the limb in space (with closed eyes);
• motor impairment: a decrease in muscle strength (paresis), a violation of muscle tone (usually an increase), the appearance of pathological symptoms type Babinsky (extension of the thumb and fan-shaped divergence of the remaining toes with dashed stimulation of the outer edge feet). Motor changes can capture one limb, two on one side or even all four. Everything depends on the location of the tumor in the brain;
• speech impairment, the ability to read, count and write. In the brain there are clearly localized zones responsible for these functions. If the tumor develops precisely in these zones, then the person begins to speak vaguely, mixes up sounds and letters, does not understand the spoken speech. Of course, such symptoms do not arise at one time. The gradual growth of the tumor leads to the progression of these symptoms, and then speech can disappear completely;
• epileptic seizures. They can be partial and generalized (as a consequence of a congestive focus of excitation in the cortex). Partial seizures are considered a focal symptom, and generalized can be both a focal and a general cerebral symptom;
• disturbance of balance and coordination. These symptoms accompany tumors in the cerebellum. A person's gait changes, there can be falls on a flat place. Quite often it is accompanied by a feeling of dizziness. People of those professions, where accuracy and accuracy are needed, begin to notice behind them a miss, clumsiness, A large number of errors in the performance of familiar skills (for example, a seamstress can not insert a thread into needle);
• violations of the cognitive sphere. They are a focal symptom for tumors of temporal and frontal localization. Memory, the ability to abstract thinking, logic gradually deteriorate. The severity of individual symptoms can be different: from a small absent-mindedness to a lack of orientation in time, self and space;
• hallucinations. They can be very diverse: taste, olfactory, visual, and sound. As a rule, hallucinations are short-lived and stereotyped, because they reflect a specific area of ​​brain damage;
• disorders of the cranial nerves. These symptoms are caused by the compression of the roots of the nerves by a growing tumor. Such violations include visual impairment (reduction of acuity, fog or blurred vision, double vision, loss of visual fields), lowering of the upper eyelid, paresis gaze (when they become impossible or sharply limited movements of the eyes in different directions), pains by the type of neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve, weakness of the masticatory muscles, asymmetry of the face (distortion), a violation of taste in the tongue, a decrease or loss of hearing, a violation of swallowing, a change in the timbre of voice, slowness and disobedience language;
• vegetative disorders. They arise when the vegetative centers are squeezed (irritated) in the brain. More often it is paroxysmal changes in the pulse, blood pressure, breathing rhythm, episodes of fever. If the tumor grows in the region of the bottom of the IV ventricle, then such changes, in combination with severe headache, dizziness, vomiting, forced position of the head, short-term obscuration of consciousness is called a syndrome Bruns;
• hormonal disorders. They can develop when the pituitary and hypothalamus are compressed, their blood supply is disturbed, and the result of hormonally active tumors, that is, those tumors whose cells themselves produce hormones. Symptoms can be the development of obesity in the usual diet (or vice versa, a sharp weight loss), diabetes insipidus, disorders of the menstrual cycle, impotence and disorders of spermatogenesis, thyrotoxicosis and other hormonal disorder.

Of course, in a person who begins to grow a tumor, not all of these symptoms appear. The defeat of various parts of the brain is characterized by certain symptoms. Below, the signs of brain tumors will be examined depending on their location.

Signs of tumors of various parts of the brain

Tumors of the frontal lobe

If the tumor occurs in the anterior parts of the frontal lobe, then for a long time it remains a clinical "invisible that is, does not manifest itself. In this case, the first signs are cerebral symptoms. Changes in the behavior and character of a person are especially characteristic, but they are usually associated with stress, some changes in life (moving, repairing and so on). Therefore, they are not given due importance. And only with the appearance of sharp changes in the psyche or the addition of other symptoms (impaired vision, epileptic seizures), the patient seeks medical help.

If the tumor grows in the posterior parts of the left frontal lobe (right-handed), the first symptom becomes Violations of speech reproduction: verbal errors, incorrect sounds, speech becomes illiterate. And the person himself notes such errors. Later, these weaknesses are joined by a weakness in the tongue, the right side of the face and the arm. Left-handers have similar symptoms when the tumor develops in a similar place, but on the right.

Tumors of the upper parts of the frontal lobe show weakness in one or (with a bilateral process) of both legs. The growth of the tumor to the left and to the right in this case causes impairment of the function of the pelvic organs.

Tumors of parietal lobe

Because of sensitive disorders, movements in the affected limb become clumsy.

This arrangement of the tumor manifests itself, first of all, by a violation of sensitivity in one of the extremities (superficial and deep). As the tumor grows, similar changes also capture the second limb on the same side of the body (for example, the left arm is the left leg). And if the tumor grows to the left, then the disturbance will occur in the right limbs and vice versa. Affected limbs may become awkward again because of loss of sensitivity.

With the growth of the tumor in the lower parts of the parietal lobe on the left (right-handed) and on the right (left-handers), the skills of reading, writing and counting can be broken in isolation. Later, there will be a speech violation.

Tumors of the temporal lobe

The localization of the tumor in the area of ​​this lobe causes the appearance of hallucinations. If the tumor occurs deep inside the lobe, then there is a visual impairment in the form of falling out of the same half of the visual fields (neither the left or right half of the image is visible).

Also, with tumors of such a localization, an understanding of reversed speech may be violated (in left-sided tumors in right-handed and right-sided tumors in left-handed patients). Memory almost always suffers.

Quite often, tumors of such localization debut epileptic seizures or paroxysmal states of "already seen" or "already heard".

If the tumor occurs at the junction of the temporal and parietal lobe, then the first simultaneously violated speech, the ability to read, write and count.

Tumors of the occipital lobe

Characterized by visual hallucinations, violation of the visual fields (can drop out half, quarter of the image or only the central areas). Another symptom is the non-recognition of objects, that is, the person sees them, but can not explain their purpose. So, for example, if you put a chair in front of a person, then he will bypass it, because it interferes in the way (that is, a person sees a chair), but why he is needed, for which he is used, he can not say. If you say aloud the word "chair" and ask why it is needed, the person will answer correctly. Here such here an incident. This may seem pretty stupid, but brain tumors often show themselves like these and similar "weirdies."

Tumors of the occipital lobe lead early enough to an increase in intracranial pressure and the emergence of cerebral symptoms.

Tumors of the ventricles of the brain

With this arrangement of tumors, the first symptom is intracranial hypertension, that is, cerebral symptoms. Moreover, there may be a forced position of the head (intuitively the person holds the head so that the tumor does not block the holes for circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid).

Tumors of the third ventricle can claim hormonal disorders, and IV - Bruns syndrome.

Tumors of the posterior cranial fossa

Such tumors primarily affect the cerebellum, so the initial manifestations are disorders of coordination and balance, dizziness. Nystagmus arises: involuntary trembling movements of the eyeballs. In muscles, the tone decreases, they become flaccid and flabby.

With this localization, intracranial pressure increases rather quickly, so cerebral symptoms do not make you wait long.

Tumors of the brain stem

These tumors manifest themselves by the appearance of so-called alternating syndromes. The essence of the syndromes is as follows: on one side of the body there is a "defect" of one or several cranial nerves, and on the other hand, disturbances of sensitivity, strength in the limbs, coordination. For example, the person's face is distorted to the right, and force is lost in the left extremities. There are a lot of such combinations.

Tumors of the "Turkish saddle" area

They manifest themselves as a visual impairment and hormonal problems at the same time. So, for example, with the development of violations of the menstrual cycle and simultaneous loss of visual fields, the patient should be suspected of a tumor process in the area of ​​the Turkish saddle.

Thus, the brain tumor is an actress with a big role among neurological and oncological diseases, so her clinical manifestations are so diverse. Unfortunately, for a long time she can be behind the scenes, her appearance on the stage can be very tragic for the patient. In order not to miss such a terrible disease as a brain tumor, do not neglect the visit of a doctor at the appearance of even the most insignificant and harmless, at first glance, symptoms.

Neurosurgeon Andrey Zuev tells about brain tumors:

TV channel "Moscow-24 the program "Lifestyle" on the theme "What are the symptoms of a brain tumor "