Retinoblastoma

          

          The retina is a lining on the inside of the eye.  The nerve tissue senses light coming through the eye and sends it to the brain and turns it into an image.  Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the eye that starts in the retina.  It is a genetic mutation that causes the bad cells to grow and multiply while the good cells die.  It occurs most common in children and very rarely occurs in adults.  It can occur in one or both eyes.

          Retinoblastoma appears as a white spot in the eye when light hits the area.  Other symptoms include swelling and redness of the eye, poor vision, or crossed eyes.  Having retinoblastoma once increases your chances of it reoccuring.  If the tumor continues to grow it can cause permanent blindness in the affected eye.

Craniopharyngioma

Craniopharyngioma

          A rare, slow growing tumor that occurs in children more often than adults is called a craniopharyngioma.  It is a benign tumor that grows aggressively on the pituitary gland.  It affects the structures around it causing damage to them.  An extreme downside to a craniopharyngioma is that there are no early symptoms.  Late symptoms that occur are vision problems and hormonal changes which is consistent with other pituitary pathologies.

          Treatment of this tumor has to be done through radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or surgery.  Surgery is the first choice to get rid of the benign, aggressive tumor.

MRI T1 weighted image

Acoustic Neuroma

Acoustic Neuroma

                An acoustic neuroma affects hearing and balance.  It is a benign tumor that grows on the 8^th cranial nerve.  They normally develop slowly and only affect one side of the head.  If there is an acoustic neuroma present on both sides of the head, it is called neurofibromatosis type 2, which causes tumors to develop and affect the nervous system.

                Ear, nose and throat doctors usually run several tests to diagnose an acoustic neuroma.  MRI is the best detailed test to diagnosis acoustic neuromas.  The test uses gadolinium to better see tumors in the head. Other tests the ENT might try are Brainstem auditory evoked response, CT, and an Audiometry or hearing test. 

                Treatment includes observation to watch the growing of tumors, surgery to remove a large tumor or possibly stereotactic radiosurgery which gives radiation to the tumor to stop growth.

 T1 weighted MRI image with gadolinium