Astrocytoma history and symptoms
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Fahimeh Shojaei, M.D.
Overview
A positive history of Vinyl chloride, Phenols, organic solvents, pesticides, Formaldehyde, lubricating fluids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, past radiation therapy to the brain, Genetic disorders, blood group A, previous head trauma, Meningitis, Epilepsy, Headache, limb parasthesia or weakness, difficulty swallowing, Nausea, Diplopia, Lethargy, personality changes and Blurred vision is suggestive of astrocytoma. The most common symptoms of astrocytoma include morning headache or headache that goes away after vomiting, Nausea and vomiting, Vision, hearing, and speech problems, loss of balance and trouble walking, worsening handwriting or slow speech, Weakness or change in feeling on one side of the body, unusual sleepiness, Change in personality or behavior, Increase in the size of the head (in infants), Seizures, decreased memory, attention, and motor abilities, but unaffected intelligence, language, and academic skills. Less common symptoms of astrocytoma include Weight loss or weight gain for no known reason and more or less energy than usual.
History and Symptoms
History
Patients with astrocytoma may have a positive history of:
- Exposure to:[1]
- Vinyl chloride
- Phenols
- Organic solvents
- Pesticides
- Formaldehyde
- Lubricating fluids
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Past radiation therapy to the brain[2]
- Genetic Disorders such as:[3][4][5]
- Neurofibromatosis
- Tuberous sclerosis
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome
- Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome
- Turcot syndrome
- Melanoma-astrocytoma syndrome
- Blood group A[6][7]
- Previous head trauma[8]
- Meningitis
- Epilepsy[7]
- Headache
- Limb parasthesia or weakness
- Difficulty swallowing
- Nausea
- Diplopia
- Lethargy
- Personality changes
- Blurred vision[9][10][11]
Common Symptoms
Common symptoms of astrocytoma are:[9][10][11]
- Morning headache or headache that goes away after vomiting
- Nausea and vomiting
- Vision, hearing, and speech problems
- Loss of balance and trouble walking
- Worsening handwriting or slow speech
- Weakness or change in feeling on one side of the body
- Unusual sleepiness
- Change in personality or behavior
- Increase in the size of the head (in infants)
- Seizures– In almost half of the cases, the first symptom of an astrocytoma is the onset of a focal or generalized seizure. Between 60 to 75% of patients will have recurrent seizures in the course of their illness.
- Children with astrocytoma usually have decreased memory, attention, and motor abilities, but unaffected intelligence, language, and academic skills.
- Anaplastic astrocytoma is often related to seizures, neurologic deficits, headaches, or changes in mental status.
Less Common Symptoms
Less common symptoms of astrocytoma include:
- Weight loss or weight gain for no known reason
- More or less energy than usual
NOTE: High grade tumors mostly cause local neurological deficit rather than seizure.
References
- ↑ Caporalini C, Buccoliero AM, Scoccianti S, Moscardi S, Simoni A, Pansini L, Bordi L, Ammannati F, Taddei GL (2016). “Granular cell astrocytoma: report of a case and review of the literature”. Clin. Neuropathol. 35 (4): 186–93. doi:10.5414/NP300952. PMID 27125869.
- ↑ Sheppard JP, Nguyen T, Alkhalid Y, Beckett JS, Salamon N, Yang I (April 2018). “Risk of Brain Tumor Induction from Pediatric Head CT Procedures: A Systematic Literature Review”. Brain Tumor Res Treat. 6 (1): 1–7. doi:10.14791/btrt.2018.6.e4. PMC 5932294. PMID 29717567.
- ↑ Soura E, Eliades PJ, Shannon K, Stratigos AJ, Tsao H (March 2016). “Hereditary melanoma: Update on syndromes and management: Genetics of familial atypical multiple mole melanoma syndrome”. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 74 (3): 395–407, quiz 408–10. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2015.08.038. PMC 4761105. PMID 26892650.
- ↑ Chourmouzi D, Papadopoulou E, Konstantinidis M, Syrris V, Kouskouras K, Haritanti A, Karkavelas G, Drevelegas A (June 2014). “Manifestations of pilocytic astrocytoma: a pictorial review”. Insights Imaging. 5 (3): 387–402. doi:10.1007/s13244-014-0328-2. PMC 4035491. PMID 24789122.
- ↑ Gajavelli S, Nakhla J, Nasser R, Yassari R, Weidenheim KM, Graber J (2016). “Ollier disease with anaplastic astrocytoma: A review of the literature and a unique case”. Surg Neurol Int. 7 (Suppl 23): S607–11. doi:10.4103/2152-7806.189731. PMC 5025950. PMID 27656320.
- ↑ BUCKWALTER JA, TURNER JH, GAMBER HH, RATERMAN L, SOPER RT, KNOWLER LA (April 1959). “Psychoses, intracranial neoplasms, and genetics”. AMA Arch Neurol Psychiatry. 81 (4): 480–5. PMID 13636517.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Schlehofer B, Blettner M, Becker N, Martinsohn C, Wahrendorf J (May 1992). “Medical risk factors and the development of brain tumors”. Cancer. 69 (10): 2541–7. PMID 1568177.
- ↑ Hochberg F, Toniolo P, Cole P (November 1984). “Head trauma and seizures as risk factors of glioblastoma”. Neurology. 34 (11): 1511–4. PMID 6493505.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 JL Ater; et al. (1996). “Correlation of medical and neurosurgical events with neuropsychological status in children at diagnosis of astrocytoma: utilization of a neurological severity score”. Journal of Child Neurology. 11 (6): 462–469. PMID 9120225.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 JM Dewar, PJ Dady and V Balakrishnan (1985). “Metastatic astrocytoma”. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine. 15 (6): 745–747. PMID 3010926.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Bigner, D. D. (2006). Russell and Rubinstein’s pathology of tumors of the nervous system. London New York, NY: Hodder Arnold Distributed in the United States of America by Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0340810071.
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