Optic Gliomas

Optic gliomas are a found in the eye and are fairly rare. Most optic gliomas are slow growing and occur before the age of 20. Some of the symptoms a patient may have include, eye bulging, loss of vision, double vision, squinting. Surgery is often the course for treatment followed by chemo.

Pituitary Adenomas

This is a very common tumor affecting the pituitary gland.  Some of the symptoms a patient that has one my present with vision loss, facial pain, weight gain and hormone imbalances.  The most common treatment for these types of tumors are radiation or surgery.  For imaging the pituitary gland MRI is far superior compared to CT as it will show all the blood flow better and the detail is greater.

Acoustic Neuromas

Acoustic neuromas or schwanomas are one of the most common tumors to affect the internal auditory canal. When tumors are found in this area, the patient usually has symptoms such as hearing loss, balance issues, or possible facial tingling. The compression on the cranial nerves from the tumor depending on the size and exact location will determine how many symptoms or how bad they become. The most commony used treatments are radiation and surgery.

Glioblastomas

When scanning the head one of the most common types of pathology I come across are gliomas. Of the tumors that are gliomas almost half are glioblastomas. They usually develope in the cerebral hemispheres, most often in the frontal lobes. When contrast is given on these patients the tumor it usually has a ring like enhancement. My experience with these patients is that the tumor almost always comes back even after removal. This seems to be a very aggressive tumor.