Tumors developing in the posterior aspect of the brain are termed occipital lobe tumors. Both primary and secondary (metastatic) lesions were recognized in clinical practice and tumors of neural, skeletal, mesenchymal, and vascular origins have all been described. The principal symptom of an occipital lobe tumor is visual disturbance, with the severity depending on the extent of tumor spread. Headaches and seizures are additional complaints. The diagnosis rests on clinical criteria and a comprehensive imaging follow-up, mainly through computed tomography (CT) and gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Presentation
Occipital lobe tumors encompass numerous neoplastic processes of different etiologies and clinical stages. The most important primary brain tumors that have been identified in the occipital lobe are tumors of neuroepithelial tissue (mainly gliomas, particularly low-grade), but vascular (such as hemangioendothelioma), mesenchymal (myxomas), and several other tumor types were also documented in the literature [1] [2] [3] [4]. Similarly to other brain tumors, headaches and seizures are common symptoms in this patient population [5] [6]. However, a suspicion toward an occipital lobe tumor can be made in the presence of visual disturbances [1] [5]. Visual hallucinations (that may or may not be accompanied by seizures) are some of the most frequent findings, presenting as light flashes consisting of different shapes, whereas prosopagnosia (inability to recognize previously known faces) is an important component of the clinical presentation [2]. Furthermore, patients with severe and expanding tumors that cause the destruction of one of the occipital lobes will suffer from homonymous hemianopia on the contralateral side [2]. When both lobes are affected, cortical blindness that is negated by patients (known as Anton syndrome) may be encountered [2]. In these cases, patients clearly state that they can see, despite a clinically confirmed absence of vision [2].
Respiratoric
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Sighing
(A sigh of relief!) If you had any part of your occipital lobe removed, you would have felt it a lot more! I just hoped that no surgeon had to do something like that just to get to the tumor. [anausa.org]
Eyes
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Photophobia
Her headache was characterized by recurrent episodes of visual aura confined to the left visual field followed by right hemicranial throbbing headaches accompanied by nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia. [miami.pure.elsevier.com]
[…] and Broca's area in front of motor cortex perimysium connective tissue sheath surrounding a bundle of muscle fibers petit mal seizure see absence seizure phonophobia abnormal intolerance to sound that commonly occurs in migraine and other headaches photophobia [strokecenter.org]
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Scotoma
Scotoma The Peristriate region of the occipital lobe is involved in visuospatial processing, discrimination of movement and color discrimination. [braininjury-explanation.com]
[…] visual migraine aura consisting of shimmering lights followed by a dark spot or partial loss of vision that may move across the visual field scotoma island-like gap or blind spot in the visual field; pleural scotomata secondary progressive clinical course [strokecenter.org]
Face, Head & Neck
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Facial Pain
Volume 1 covers the visual sensory system, the autonomic nervous system, the ocular motor system, the eyelid, facial pain and headache, and nonorganic disease. [books.google.com]
Man with facial pain. Ludwig’s angina. Ann Emerg Med 2013; 61:278-288 52 Karus D, Raveis VH, Alexander C, Hanna B, Selwyn P, Marconi K, Higginson I. [ghrnet.org]
pain due to a lesion in the apex of the temporal bone grand mal seizure see tonic-clonic seizure graphesthesia ability to recognize letters or numbers drawn on the finger or palm gray matter part of the CNS consisting of neuronal cell bodies and dendrites [strokecenter.org]
Psychiatrical
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Visual Hallucination
Visual hallucinations (that may or may not be accompanied by seizures) are some of the most frequent findings, presenting as light flashes consisting of different shapes, whereas prosopagnosia (inability to recognize previously known faces) is an important [symptoma.com]
Occipital lesions can cause visual hallucinations. Lesions in the parietal-temporal-occipital association area are associated with color agnosia, movement agnosia, and agraphia. [en.wikipedia.org]
The anatomy of conscious vision: an fMRI study of visual hallucinations. Nat Neurosci 1998 ; 1 : 738 –42. Cummings JL, Mega MS. Neuropsychiatry and behavioural neuroscience. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. [jnnp.bmj.com]
hallucinations, and parkinsonism and defined pathologically by cortical (as well as nigral) Lewy bodies diplegia see paraplegia diplopia double vision dissociated sensory deficit impairment of pain/temperature sensation with preservation of vibration [strokecenter.org]
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Compulsive Behavior
Presentation varies from small motor tics, unusual perceptual disturbances, time-distortion, derealization, panic-like sxs, compulsive behaviors, catatonic variants, atypical aggressive outbursts, obsessions, and much more. [healthtap.com]
Neurologic
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Headache
Similarly to other brain tumors, headaches and seizures are common symptoms in this patient population. However, a suspicion toward an occipital lobe tumor can be made in the presence of visual disturbances. [symptoma.com]
KW - brain tumor KW - headache KW - migraine with aura UR - UR - U2 - 10.1046/j.1526-4610.1996.3601049.x DO - 10.1046/j.1526-4610.1996.3601049.x M3 - Article VL - 36 SP - 49 EP - 52 JO - Headache T2 - Headache JF - Headache SN - 0017-8748 IS - 1 ER - [miami.pure.elsevier.com]
When the headache returns, the concern is if the tumor is back or if it is precipitating migraine headaches. Migraine headaches can be precipitated by structural lesions(such as tumors), but care must be taken to rule out other causes. [medhelp.org]
This case illustrates that headache fulfilling the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria for migraine with typical aura can occur in association with an occipital lobe tumor. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
In conjunction with the headache I would have congestion and an intermediate earache. I thought it was my sinuses so I would take sinus headache medication but that did not stop the pain. [healthboards.com]
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Aura
@article{2fe013b57d98484f8a8f34febf60ca69, title "Occipital lobe tumor presenting as migraine with typical aura", abstract "We report the case of a 60-year-old woman in whom migraine with typical aura heralded the presence of an occipital lobe tumor. [miami.pure.elsevier.com]
We report the case of a 60-year-old woman in whom migraine with typical aura heralded the presence of an occipital lobe tumor. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
(classic migraine) migraine attack associated with reversible aura symptoms indicative of focal CNS dysfunction; the aura ( scintillating scotoma, vertigo, paresthesias, paresis, etc) typically develops gradually over several minutes, lasts less than [strokecenter.org]
A simple partial seizure can be a precursor to a larger seizure and then it is called an aura. A complex partial seizure affects a larger part of the hemisphere and the person may lose consciousness. [radiologyassistant.nl]
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Throbbing Headache
Her headache was characterized by recurrent episodes of visual aura confined to the left visual field followed by right hemicranial throbbing headaches accompanied by nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia. [miami.pure.elsevier.com]
headache arising exclusively during sleep, typically between 1:00 and 3:00 AM hypnic jerk sensation of falling, and then "jerking" awake just as one drifts to sleep hypnopompic hallucination vivid dreamlike hallucination that occurs as one is waking [strokecenter.org]
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Sinus Headache
I thought it was my sinuses so I would take sinus headache medication but that did not stop the pain. [healthboards.com]
He finally accepted it wasn't sinus headaches only when he started violently vomitting for 2 days before going to the hospital. On December 1st, a CT and MRI confirmed a 3.8cm mass in his occipital lobe. [inspire.com]
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Homonymous Hemianopsia
Clinical significance [ edit ] If one occipital lobe is damaged, the result can be homonymous hemianopsia vision loss from similarly positioned "field cuts" in each eye. Occipital lesions can cause visual hallucinations. [en.wikipedia.org]
Workup
The diagnostic workup of patients in whom an occipital lobe tumor is suspected should start by conducting a thorough patient history, which will assess the onset of complaints, their progression, as well as severity. If patients report progressive visual symptoms (with or without headaches or epilepsy), a thorough examination of visual fields and acuity should be performed in order to assess the localization of the deficits. After sufficient clinical evidence has been gathered, imaging studies need to be employed; these are the gold standard for diagnosing brain tumors [1] [4]. MRI, using T1 and T2-weighted studies with gadolinium as a contrast, as well as fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) sequence imaging, is considered to be the first-line study that allows identification of the exact location and the characteristics of the lesion [1] [3] [4] [6] [7]. When MRI is contraindicated (for example, in the presence of foreign metallic bodies or pacemakers), CT of the endocranium serves as an alternative [1] [4]. More advanced techniques are indicated when further diagnosis and treatment planning is required, such as functional MRIs (fMRI), MR proton spectroscopy, single photon emission tomography (SPECT), positron-emission tomography (PET), or visual evoked potential [6] [8] [9]. A definite classification of the tumor type is made from imaging findings and biopsy samples obtained either preoperatively or postoperatively [1] [4].
Treatment
Combined 3-DAC imaging and MEG can provide essential information about the optic radiation and primary visual cortex for planning the surgical treatment of occipital lobe tumors. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
The third part reviews the surgical treatments for various neuro-related problems, including trauma, brain tumors, pain, and motor disorders. [books.google.com]
Treatments Treatment for an occipital lobe tumor is determined by where it is located. [healthyliving.azcentral.com]
More advanced techniques are indicated when further diagnosis and treatment planning is required, such as functional MRIs (fMRI), MR proton spectroscopy, single photon emission tomography (SPECT), positron-emission tomography (PET), or visual evoked potential [symptoma.com]
Prognosis
References Similar Posts: Related posts: Appendix Cancer - Symptoms, Survival Rate, Prognosis, Treatment, Pilocytic Astrocytoma - Prognosis, Survival Rate and Treatment Merkel Cell Carcinoma - Pictures, Prognosis, Survival Rate, Treatment Glioblastoma [cancerwall.com]
Prognosis "Prognosis" is the medical term for a prediction of life expectancy. Keep in mind that these predictions are estimates. [abta.org]
"Butterfly pattern" - Prognosis: 5-year survival Treatment Goals: Local vs. Systemic Control - Local Control: Surgery, Radiation, Stereotactic Radiosurgery - Systemic Control: Chemotherapy, Biological Therapy, Immunotherapy. [quizlet.com]
The prognosis for vision with optic pathway gliomas is variable. Some of these remain stationary both in terms of their deleterious effect on vision and of their size on MRI. [childhoodbraintumor.org]
Anaplastic astrocytoma: diagnosis, prognosis, and management. Semin Oncol. 2004;31:618-34. Jennings MT, Ivengar S. Pharmacotherapy of malignant astrocytomas of children and adults: current strategies and future trends. CNS Drugs. 2001;15:719-43. [rarediseases.org]
Etiology
Occipital lobe tumors encompass numerous neoplastic processes of different etiologies and clinical stages. [symptoma.com]
We have taken a pragmatic approach to this, including all of the lesions in the scoring system because existing pathologic evidence suggests that these lesions share common etiologic mechanisms. [ajnr.org]
Occipital lobe epilepsies are etiologically idiopathic, symptomatic, or cryptogenic. [8] Symptomatic occipital seizures can start at any age, as well as any stage after or during the course of the underlying causative disorder. [en.wikipedia.org]
MTS is the most common cause of partial complex epilepsy in adults and is also the most common etiology in young adult patients undergoing surgery. [radiologyassistant.nl]
Epidemiology/Etiology According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 million people suffer stroke worldwide each year. [physio-pedia.com]
Epidemiology
Epidemiology/Etiology According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 million people suffer stroke worldwide each year. [physio-pedia.com]
[…] apoptosis Radiotherapy & neurological effects - Radiation causes breakage of DNA, leading to loss of function and eventual cell death - Most prominent in S phase of mitosis, therefore targets rapidly growing cancer cells - Normal tissue can also be affected Epidemiology [quizlet.com]
Recent changes in the epidemiology of head and neck cancer. Curr Opin Oncol 2009; 21: 194-200 6 Cooper JS, Porte K, Mallin K, Hoffman HT, Weber RS, Ang KK, Gay EG, Langer CJ. [ghrnet.org]
Pathophysiology
Penning Published 2015 in BMC Research Notes DOI: 10.1186/s13104-015-1628-4 In the last decade canine models have been used extensively to study genetic causes of neurological disorders such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease and unravel their pathophysiological [pdfs.semanticscholar.org]
This provides an ideal forum for students to gain a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of movement disorders, recognizing important clinical findings, identifying potential DBS candidates and the perioperative management of this population. [jefferson.edu]
Pathophysiology of dysphagia is related to the distance from the treatment. Approximately 80% of the patients undergoing a radiation treatment experience acute mucositis, both during treatment and in the first weeks after the treatment[45]. [ghrnet.org]
[…] waves and some physiological functions normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) clinical symptom complex characterized by abnormal gait, urinary incontinence, and dementia in the setting of hydrocephalus with normal cerebrospinal fluid pressure; proposed pathophysiology [strokecenter.org]
Prevention
The headaches increased in frequency over 4 months despite a number of medications known to prevent attacks of migraine. A low-grade right occipital lobe tumor was eventually discovered on MR scan. [miami.pure.elsevier.com]
الصفحة 1607 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 1994 Revised Classification System for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Children Less Than 13 Years of Age, MMWR, 43, 1-19, No. [books.google.com]
From the symptoms/history you describe I would recommend that you start a migraine preventative medication such as elavil 10mg-25mg at night, and get the EEG previously mentioned. [medhelp.org]
Measures such as neck compression (tourniquet) and volume loading can be helpful in preventing VAE. PEEP increases the risk of VAE. [openanesthesia.org]
References
- Perkins A, Liu G. Primary Brain Tumors in Adults: Diagnosis and Treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2016;93(3):211-217.
- Pan E, Prados MD. Clinical Presentation. In: Kufe DW, Pollock RE, Weichselbaum RR, et al., editors. Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine. 6th edition. Hamilton (ON): BC Decker; 2003.
- Verma A, Rosenfeld V, Forteza A, Sharma KR. Occipital lobe tumor presenting as migraine with typical aura. Headache. 1996;36(1):49-52.
- Amit A, Bhake A, Banode P, Singh BR. Malignant hemangioendothelioma of occipital bone. Chin J Cancer Res. 2012;24(2):161-163.
- Kawatra M, Bhandari V, Phatak S, Kulkarni D. Primary occipital myxoma: A rare case report. J Pediatr Neurosci. 2013;8(2):129-131.
- Schneider T, Mawrin C, Scherlach C, Skalej M, Firsching R. Gliomas in Adults. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2010;107(45):799-808.
- Tatsuzawa K, Owada K, Sasajima H, Yamada K, Mineura K. Surgical strategy of brain tumors adjacent to the optic radiation using diffusion tensor imaging-based tractography. Oncology Letters. 2010;1(6):1005-1009.
- Roux FE, Ibarrola D, Lotterie JA, Chollet F, Berry I. Perimetric visual field and functional MRI correlation: implications for image-guided surgery in occipital brain tumours. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2001;71:505–514.
- Lacerda S, Law M. Magnetic resonance perfusion and permeability imaging in brain tumors. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2009;19(4):527-557.