Chemotherapy for Brain Tumors
Chapter 7 Chemotherapy for Brain Tumors Manmeet S. Ahluwalia Factors Influencing Delivery of Chemotherapy to the Brain Blood–Brain Barrier Treatment of brain tumors with systemic chemotherapy poses challenges unique to…
Raised Intracranial Pressure and Herniation Syndromes
Secondary to breakdown of blood-brain barrier, leakage of (normally excluded) intravascular proteins and fluid into the cerebral interstitial space. Primarily affects white matter. Seen around tumours, abscesses. Can occur in…
Head Injury: Extradural Haematoma
Brief posttraumatic loss of consciousness. Followed by recovery and a ‘lucid interval’ (between initial trauma and subsequent neurological deterioration). Leading to neurological decline with decreasing GCS. Finally, if untreated, death…
Coma and Brainstem Death
Toxic: Alcohol abuse and overdose with drugs, for example opiates. Metabolic/endocrine: Hypoglycaemia, hyperosmolar non-ketotic coma and diabetic ketoacidosis in diabetes; electrolyte disturbances, including hyponatraemia or hypernatraemia and hypercalcaemia; renal failure…
CNS Neoplasia
Remember: Cerebral metastases are the most common tumours in the CNS. History and Examination For presentation of specific tumour types, please see Appendices 1 and 2. The following are the…
Head Injury: General Approach and Management
Remember: Spinal injuries (see Chapter 35) are strongly associated with head injury. Ensure head-injured patients are immobilised in a hard cervical collar and log-rolled until the spine is cleared clinically…
Common Peripheral Nerve Lesions: Mononeuropathies
Resting elbow on a firm surface (a desk or the base of a car window frame). Malpositioning/inadequate padding during surgery or while in a coma. • Elbow deformities. Congenital anomalies,…
Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
Remember: Although the different syndromes in MND progress with a varying rate of evolution, eventually they overlap significantly and in late stages merge into a diffuse combined UMN and LMN…
Stroke I: Thromboembolic Stroke and Syndromes
Clinical Syndromes History/Examination Because of the anatomy of the cerebral vasculature, thromboembolic stroke tends to result in particular sets of symptoms and signs or ‘stroke syndromes’. Many of these are…
Head Injury: Subdural Haematoma, Skull Fractures and Contusions
Remember: CSDH can occur in the elderly in the context of minimal trauma to head. Associations/Risk Factors Apart from blunt trauma and age >60 years, risk factors for CSDH include…
