Oligodendroglioma Treatment & Symptom
Oligodendrogliomas are a type of glioma that are believed to originate from the oligodendrocytes of the brain or from a glial precursor cell. They are named after the cells from which they originate, oligodendrocytes. Oligodendroglioma are most commonly seen in patients in their forties, but are also occasionally found in children. Oligodendrogliomas and mixed gliomas account for approximately 4-5% of all primary brain tumors and 10% of all gliomas. A primary brain tumor is a tumor that begins in the brain, as opposed to a secondary (or metastatic) brain tumor, which originates in another organ and spreads (metastasizes) to the brain. There are two types of oligodendroglioma the well-differentiated tumor, which grows relatively slowly and in a defined shape and the anaplastic oligodendroglioma , which grows much more rapidly and does not have a well-defined shape. Anaplastic oligodendrogliomas are much less common than well-differentiated oligodendrogliomas. More common than either form of pure oligodendroglioma is the mixed glioma, or oligoastrocytoma . These mixed gliomas are a mixture of oligodendroglioma and astrocytoma . An astrocytoma is a tumor that arises from the astrocytes, specialized cells in the brain that regulate the chemical environment of the brain and help to form the blood-brain barrier.
Symptoms of Oligodendroglioma
Some common Symptoms of Oligodendroglioma :
- Headache.
- Seizures.
- Nausea.
- Irritability.
- Vomiting.
- Vision disturbances.
Treatment of Oligodendroglioma
- The primary treatment is maximum surgical removal of the tumor. Tumors that are completely removed may not require further therapy other than serial MRIs to monitor for tumor re-growth.
- Radiotherapy .
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