Neuro Tumors

Common in obese middle age women

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Daily headache along with nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, and visual disturbances

Related to decreased CSF outflow at the arachnoid villi

Grade IV astrocytoma - GFAP (+)

Most common primary brain tumor over all - usually found in adults

"Head fullness" and headaches with standing

Prognosis grave - <1 yr survival

Can cross corpus collosum - butterfly glioma

Pseudopalisading pleomorphic tumor cells that border central areas of necrosis and hemorrhage

2nd most common primary brain tumor - usually found in adults

Most often appears on convexities of the hemispheres in the parasagittal region

Arises from the arachnoid cells external to the brain

Resectable - do not invade brain tissue

Spindle cells concentrically arranged in a whorled pattern - psammoma bodies present

3rd most common primary brain tumor - usually found in adults

Schwann cell origin - localized to CN VIII - usually found at the cerebellopontine angle

Resectable

S-100 (+)

Relatively rare - slow growing

Most often in frontal lobes

Chicken-wire capillary pattern

Oligodendrocytes appear as "fried egg cells" and are often calcified

Common first symptom is a seizure

Rare, primary brain tumor that typically affects immunocompromised patients

Typically in cortex or meninges

Prognosis is poor for HIV (+)

Presents with headache, seizures, and other focal neuro deficits

Childhood - Usually well circumscribed - found in posterior fossa - cystic and solid

GFAP (+)

Benign - good prognosis

Rosenthal fibers - eosinophilic, corkscrew fibers

Childhood - Highly malignant cerebellar tumor - most common infratentorial tumor - 2nd most common tumor overall

A form of a primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)

Can compress the 4th ventricle, causing hydrocephalus... increased ICP... papillary edema.

Can also compress CN IV... diplopia.

Rosettes or perivascular pseudorosette pattern of cells.

Solid tumor with small blue cells.

Radiosensitive

Poor prognosis

Childhood - Ependymal cell tumor most commonly found IN the 4th ventricle.

Can cause hydrocephalus... increased ICP... papillary edema

Poor prognosis.

Characteristic perivascular pseudorosettes.

Rod-shaped blepharoplasts (basal ciliary bodies) found near the nucleus

Childhood - Most often cerebellar

Associated with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome when found with retinal angiomas (and often renal cell carcinoma)

Can produce EPO, leading to secondary polycythemia

Foamy cells of high vascularity are characteristic

Most common childhood tumor - Supratentorial

Often confused with pituitary adenoma

Can cause bitemporal hemianopsia

Derived from remnants of Rathke's pouch - calcification is common (tooth-enamel-like)