NEUROSURGERY MEDICAL CONDITIONS

1. NEUROSURGERY MEDICAL CONDITIONS SRI RAMAKRISHNA HOSPITAL

2. CONDITIONS 01 02 HYDROCEPHALUS CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS 03 04 BRAIN ANEURYSM BRAIN TUMOURS 05 SPINE TUMOURS

3. HYDROCEPHALUS The human brain and spinal column are bathed in a fluid known as cerebrospinal fluid. Sometimes there may be an unnatural buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the cavities (ventricles) of the brain. This can cause the pressure within the skull (known as intracranial pressure) to increase. This condition is known as hydrocephalus, taken from the Greek words hydro (water) and cephalous (head). Hydrocephalus may occur at any age, but it is most commonly found in infants and older adults. It can cause an increasing enlargement of the head which may be pronounced and visible. The condition is serious and can result in brain damage and reduced brain function. There are several causes of hydrocephalus, both congenital (hereditary) and acquired (occurring due to external factors). Some of the congenital conditions that cause it are Arnold-Chiari malformation, Spina Bifida, craniosynostosis, etc. The acquired causes are trauma to the head, tumours, cysts, meningitis and haemorrhage.

4. CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS Craniosynostosis is a condition affecting infants. As you may know, a child's skull is fairly soft. This is due to what is known as 'sutures' – a kind of fibrous joint occurring in the skull. The skull's bones are not fused at birth and are joined at these sutures, allowing for some movement. This allows the skull to grow with the child. Typically the bones don't fuse before the age of two. However, in some rare instances, the sutures of babies fuse prematurely and turn into bone. This leaves no room for the brain in which to expand with growth. What can then happen is that the brain may grow in a different direction, such as laterally. This results in a child with a misshapen head. If the brain can't grow enough in another direction, it can increase intracranial pressure. This, in turn, can lead to seizures, blindness and even death in some rare cases.Most forms of craniosynostosis are 'non-syndromic', which is a fancy way of saying their causes are unknown. A few kinds are 'syndromic' caused by certain genetic conditions.

5. BRAIN ANEURYSM An aneurysm is a weak spot on an artery. The blood pressure forces the weakened part of the artery's wall to bulge outwards. You will get the picture if you've ever seen an inflated bicycle tube or balloon suddenly bulge out at one section. Aneurysms may occur in any part of the body, but it is only in the brain that it becomes lethal. Arteries feed oxygen to the brain constantly. When this flow is limited, brain cells begin to die, which happens in a stroke. When an aneurysm ruptures, it spills blood into the subarachnoid cavity, known as a subarachnoid haemorrhage. Depending on how fast (or not) the condition is addressed, the patient may survive and enjoy a good quality of life or die. Many people develop aneurysms at some point in their lives, but until they burst, they cause little to no symptoms and go undetected for the most part. Sometimes, however, an aneurysm may pressure a sensitive part of the brain, causing symptoms ranging from headaches to nausea to seizures and loss of consciousness. There are various surgical procedures to treat this condition.

6. BRAIN TUMOURS Brain Tumours are classified into primary and secondary tumours. Primary tumours are those which originate in the brain. They could be benign or malignant, and they are rarer. The most common tumours are secondary tumours, which originated in another part of the body and spread to the brain. They are all malignant, as indicated by the fact that they have spread. Primary brain tumours take their name from the kind of cells which cause them. Gliomas, for example, originate in the brain or spinal cord. There are several astrocytomas, glioblastomas, oligoastrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, and ependymomas. Then, meningiomas originate from the 'meninges' – the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. They are largely benign. Medulloblastomas are the most commonly found brain tumours in children.

7. BRAIN TUMOURS They are cancerous, starting in the lower part of the brain and spreading via the spinal fluid. Schwannomas or acoustic neuromas are benign tumours which develop on nerves leading from the inner ear to the brain and control hearing and balance. Pituitary tumours are usually benign and, as the name indicates, develop in the pituitary gland. They can be surgically excised using the transsphenoidal approach. Secondary brain tumours comprise the overwhelming majority of brain tumours. The types of cancer that 'metastasise' (spread) to the brain are lung, kidney, skin and breast cancer.

8. SPINE TUMOURS The spinal cord is wrapped within three layers of protective membranes called meninges, the outermost of which is known as the dura mater. Thus, spinal tumours are named after their location relative to the dura. Extradural tumours occur outside the meninges, while Intramural tumours occur within. The former is the most common and comprises bone tumours such as the benign osteomas and osteoblastoma and the malignant osteosarcomas, chordomas, osteosarcomas and fibrosarcomas. Intradural tumours are divided into Intramedullary and Extramedullary. Intramedullary tumours occur within the nerves of the spinal cord itself. There are many kinds of these, the most common being astrocytomas and ependymomas. Extramedullary tumours occur outside the spinal cord itself but lie within the meninges. Some of the most common are meningiomas and schwannomas.

9. HYDROCEPHALUS The human brain and spinal column are bathed in a fluid known as cerebrospinal fluid. Sometimes there may be an unnatural buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the cavities (ventricles) of the brain. This can cause the pressure within the skull (known as intracranial pressure) to increase. This condition is known as hydrocephalus, taken from the Greek words hydro (water) and cephalous (head). Hydrocephalus may occur at any age, but it is most commonly found in infants and older adults. It can cause an increasing enlargement of the head which may be pronounced and visible. The condition is serious and can result in brain damage and reduced brain function. There are several causes of hydrocephalus, both congenital (hereditary) and acquired (occurring due to external factors). Some of the congenital conditions that cause it are Arnold-Chiari malformation, Spina Bifida, craniosynostosis, etc. The acquired causes are trauma to the head, tumours, cysts, meningitis and haemorrhage.

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