Brain Tumors & Cranial Lesions
Benign and malignant growths arising within brain tissue, cranial nerves, or the covering meninges and skull base.
What is Brain Tumors & Cranial Lesions?
Brain tumors encompass a diverse spectrum of abnormal cell growths within the cranium. They include benign lesions (such as meningiomas, schwannomas, and skull bone tumors like giant cell tumors) and aggressive or metastatic lesions (such as high-grade gliomas or metastases). Accurate histological and molecular characterization is essential for effective treatment planning.
Common Symptoms & Signs
- New or changing headache patterns, particularly morning headaches that awaken the patient
- New onset seizures in adulthood
- Progressive one-sided weakness, sensory loss, or clumsiness
- Changes in personality, memory, speech, or executive mental function
- Visual field cuts, blurry vision, or hearing loss in one ear
Causes and Risk Factors
- •Most primary brain tumors have no identifiable single cause and occur spontaneously
- •Prior exposure to ionizing therapeutic radiation to the head
- •Rare hereditary syndromes (such as Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and 2, Li-Fraumeni syndrome)
Diagnostic Procedures & Imaging
When Urgent Medical Evaluation is Required
- •Sudden onset of severe confusion, unresponsiveness, or lethargy
- •Uncontrolled seizure activity (status epilepticus)
- •Rapid loss of vision or sudden severe weakness
Treatment Modalities
Non-Surgical & Medical
- •Active surveillance with serial MRI for small, incidental, asymptomatic benign tumors (e.g. small convexity meningiomas)
- •Radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery (Gamma Knife / CyberKnife) for deep or residual tumors
- •Chemotherapy and targeted molecular therapies directed by neuro-oncologists
Surgical Interventions
- •Image-Guided Craniotomy and Microsurgical Resection: Utilizing intraoperative neuro-navigation, neuro-monitoring, and microscopic illumination for maximal safe tumor removal
- •Awake Craniotomy: For tumors situated within language or critical motor pathways, allowing real-time mapping
- •Minimally Invasive Endoscopic or Skull Base Resection: For pituitary and skull base lesions
When is Surgery Considered?
Surgery is generally the primary step for diagnosis (biopsy) and therapeutic debulking or complete excision when a tumor exerts mass effect on adjacent neural structures.
What a Consultation Involves
Dr. Vitowanu evaluates your MRI images, neurological examination, and the proximity of the tumor to functional pathways, discussing the rationale for maximal safe resection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does having a brain tumor mean it is cancerous?
No. A substantial proportion of brain tumors (such as meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, and pituitary adenomas) are histologically benign. However, because the skull is a rigid container, even benign tumors can cause pressure and require neurosurgical evaluation.
What does 'maximal safe resection' mean?
It means removing as much of the tumor as surgically possible while strictly safeguarding critical neurological functions such as movement, speech, and vision.
Surgical Interventions for Brain Tumors & Cranial Lesions
- [1] Vitowanu JM, et al. Uncommon Presentation of a Giant Cell Tumor of the Skull in a Pediatric Patient. 2023.
- [2] Louis DN, et al. The 2021 WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System: a summary. Neuro-Oncol. 2021.
Discuss This Condition
Have your scans and clinical records evaluated for diagnostic clarity or surgical indication.