Pineoblastoma is a rare type of tumor that is formed from or near the epiphysis. Neoplasm refers to malignant species, it quickly passes to surrounding tissues and destroys them.
Most patients with the pineoblastoma are children and young people.
What is a brain pineoblastoma?
Epiphysis( pineal gland) is the organ of the brain, which has the most minimal dimensions and is located behind the third ventricle between the hemispheres of the brain.
Next to the pineal gland is the Sylvia aqueduct, which circulates the cerebrospinal fluid.
Epiphysis produces several biologically active substances - hormones, they affect human biorhythms and take part in the work of the endocrine, digestive and nervous systems.
Localization of the epiphysis in the brain and its functions determine the symptoms of the disease with the development of the pineoblastoma.
A growing tumor affects the circulation of the fluid, squeezing out the outflow of the liquor, and thus develops hydrocephalus with the corresponding neurological signs.
There are several features of the pineoblastoma, these are:
- Aggressive growth, which leads to the development of a pronounced clinical picture of malignant brain damage in a few months.
- Increased secretion of melatonin - a hormone responsible for normal awakening and falling asleep.
- Blockade of the ventricles of the brain with an increase in tumor size, leading to hydrocephalus.
- Spreading the tissues of the pineoblastoma to the spinal cord.
- The primary diagnosis of this type of tumor in children and adolescents is about 18 years.
Causes and Symptoms of
One major and accurate cause of the appearance of the pineoblastoma has not been identified. Some researchers suggest that the brain tissue had a previous tumor effect of radiation.
To provoking factors also include trauma of the central nervous system, hereditary predisposition to malignant diseases, surgical interventions, contact with carcinogens. Due to the fact that the exact cause of the dangerous disease is not defined, there are no ways of its specific prevention.
There are no characteristic symptoms by which it would be possible to say for sure that a malignant tumor of the epiphysis develops.
Since this type of neoplasm during its growth in most patients squeezes the Sylvian water pipe, then the signs indicating the development of hydrocephalus are in the foreground:
- Headache.
- Dizziness.
- Nausea and often vomiting.
- Children have moodiness, anxiety.
For the development of the pineoblastoma, other changes in the state of health are also characteristic. This weakness, apathy, causeless changes in weight in the direction of its increase or decrease, numbness of one half of the trunk, drowsiness, inhibition. You can see a pathological change in personality traits and behavior.
These signs can be in other diseases of the central nervous system and internal organs. The final diagnosis is established only after a comprehensive examination, but always remember that only an early request for help to a doctor can give a chance for a quick recovery in any pathology.
Diagnosis of
If a CNS neoplasm is suspected, the doctor must send his patient for a series of standard examinations.
Preliminary collection of anamnesis, finding out violations of neurological reflexes, previously transmitted diseases.
At the moment, the most valuable information when detecting brain tumors is obtained with the appointment:
- MRI.This type of examination helps to identify the location of the tumor, its size, structure. The use of contrast medium significantly increases the informative value of MRI.
- CT scan is necessary to obtain stratified images of the brain. This type of diagnosis reveals the slightest deviations from the parameters.
- Lumbar puncture - taking a small amount of CSF from the spinal cord. Laboratory analysis of a biological fluid can reveal atypical cells.
- Blood test is assigned to detect signs of inflammation and to detect cancer markers.
Diagnosis is confirmed after a biopsy. Neurosurgeons often perform surgical procedures such as ventriculography, cerebral angiography, or MR angiography.
Similar methods of research show the extent of the spread of a growing tumor in the ventricles of the brain and the vessels.
Treatment of a malignant tumor
Once the diagnosis of the pineoblastoma is confirmed, the treating physician will need to decide on the most effective tactics for treating the disease. The age of a person, the direction of tumor growth, the prescription of a pineoblastoma are taken into account.
The most effective method of treatment is surgical, but with a significant prevalence of neoplasm it is almost never carried out.
The main goal of surgical intervention is the complete removal of the pineoblastoma. The operation on the brain is extremely difficult, the neurosurgeon must cut out the altered tissues so as not to hurt the healthy and functioning structures of the brain.
Some modern clinics have equipment to monitor the course of radical intervention with the help of neuronavigation and neuroimaging. Such techniques significantly increase the success of the operation, and reduce the risk of complications.
The use of special capsules with radioisotopes for introduction into the brain is considered to be the most effective method of radiation therapy with a minimum of development of adverse reactions.
Chemotherapy is the effect on cancer cells with intravenous or tablet-injected cytotoxic drugs.
Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells irrespective of their location, that is, antineoplastic agents affect the entire body. The most effective combinations of cytostatics are selected for the treatment of patients with the pineoblastoma.
Pineoblastoma survival forecast
Pineoblastoma patients undergoing surgery live for 5 to 60-70% of cases. An early fatal outcome occurs when the tumor is not susceptible to surgical intervention.