Therefore, many tracers that may reach tumors in other areas of the body easily would be unable to reach brain tumors until there was a disruption of the BBB by the tumor. Disruption of the BBB is well imaged via MRI or CT scan, and is therefore regarded as the main diagnostic indicator for malignant gliomas, meningiomas, and brain metastases.Swelling or obstruction of the passage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain may cause (early) signs of increased intracranial pressure which translates clinically into headaches, vomiting, or an altered state of consciousness, and in children changes to the diameter of the skull and bulging of the fontanelles. More complex symptoms such as endocrine dysfunctions should alarm doctors not to exclude brain tumors.A bilateral temporal visual field defect (due to compression of the optic chiasm) or dilation of the pupil, and the occurrence of either slowly evolving or the sudden onset of focal neurologic symptoms, such as cognitive and behavioral impairment (including impaired judgment, memory loss, lack of recognition, spatial orientation disorders), personality or emotional changes, hemiparesis, hypoesthesia, aphasia, ataxia, visual field impairment, impaired sense of smell, impaired hearing, facial paralysis, double vision, or more severe symptoms such as tremors, paralysis on one side of the body hemiplegia, or (epileptic) seizures in a patient with a negative history for epilepsy, should raise the possibility of a brain tumor. Imaging
Medical imaging plays a central role in the diagnosis of brain tumors.
However, a common regimen beginning at 0.5 mg/kg per day for a couple of days before tapering to a smaller dose for several months to a year, has been used successfully.Corticosteroids effectively reduce inflammation by switching off several genes activated during an inflammatory reaction. The production of anti-inflammatory proteins, and the degeneration of mRNA encoding inflammatory proteins, can also be increased by a high concentration of corticosteroids. These responses can help mitigate the inflammation seen in pneumonitis and reduce symptoms.Certain immune-modulating treatments may be appropriate for patients with chronic pneumonitis. Azathioprine and mycophenolate are two particular treatments that have been associated with an improvement of gas exchange. Patients with chronic pneumonitis also may be evaluated for lung transplantation. Images
See also
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, also known as extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA)
Acute Interstitial Pneumonitis
Radiation Pneumonitis
Chemical Pneumonitis

References


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