What are the complications of brainstem tumors

Brainstem tumor is a disease that occurs in the brain and mainly occurs in young and middle-aged people. The main type of brainstem tumor is an astrocytoma, followed by a glioma and an oligodendroglioma. Brainstem tumors can affect our brain nerves. The brain is an important part of the human body, so when there is any abnormality in the body, do not delay, seek medical attention in time, and early treatment will bring early health.

complication

The following complications often occur after brainstem tumor surgery:

1. Cranial nerve damage: It is often the aggravation of the damage to the IX and X cranial nerves after surgery. The patient's dysphagia causes respiratory tract infection. Tracheotomy and nasogastric feeding can be performed to prevent infection and maintain nutrition.

2. Gastrointestinal bleeding: Any surgery on the brain stem may cause gastrointestinal bleeding, especially surgery on the medulla oblongata. Literature reports that gastrointestinal bleeding occurs after surgery for medullary angioreticuloma, usually 4 to 5 days after surgery. In mild cases, the disease may stop automatically, while in severe cases, it may last for several months. Drugs such as omeprazole can be used for treatment.

3. Respiratory disorders: After surgery, breathing often becomes slower or shallower, resulting in a decrease in blood oxygen partial pressure. At this time, an artificial synchronous ventilator can be used to assist breathing and maintain normal oxygen partial pressure.

4. Postoperative impaired consciousness is often caused by postoperative brain stem edema, and dehydrating agents and hormones can be used for treatment after surgery.

Diet and health care

1. Patients should adopt a diet high in protein, vitamins and calories. Dietary protein can be obtained from animal foods and legume foods, such as fish, eggs, milk and soy products. High-vitamin foods include eating more fresh vegetables and fruits, such as apples, oranges and various green leafy vegetables. High-calorie foods can be obtained from easily digestible carbohydrate foods, such as cakes, chocolates, etc.

2. When using dehydration diuretics, patients should eat more potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, oranges, corn, celery, etc.

3. Loss of appetite is a common problem for brain tumor patients, especially those with glioma. In addition to the disease itself, the causes of loss of appetite are mostly due to psychological factors such as depression, excessive tension, fear, and anxiety in the patient. When cooking and processing meals, attention should be paid to color, aroma, taste and shape to stimulate the patient's appetite.

4. Patients should maintain good eating habits, avoid overeating, pay attention to food hygiene, do not eat raw, cold, or hard food, quit smoking and drinking, and develop good bowel habits.

Pathogenesis

Brainstem tumors are mostly located in the pons, grow in an expansive manner, and can extend upward or downward along the nerve fiber bundles. Astrocytomas can occur in any part of the brainstem and usually grow in an infiltrative manner; ependymomas are usually located at the bottom of the fourth ventricle; angioreticular cell tumors grow in an expansive manner and can invade the dorsal medulla oblongata; and cavernous hemangiomas are usually located in the pons. Gross observation shows that the brainstem is symmetrically or asymmetrically enlarged, and the surface is grayish white or pink. If the tumor grows rapidly and is highly malignant, bleeding, necrosis, and even cyst deformation may be seen, and the cyst fluid may be yellow. Microscopic examination showed that astrocytomas were mostly bipolar or unipolar astrocytes, with occasional multinucleated giant cells.