What is spinal dysraphism? Spinal dysraphism is a condition in which the spine does not form properly in a foetus, causing a gap in the spine. The spinal cord is the inner column of nerve tissue running along the length of the spine required for communication between the brain and the lower body. We know […]
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Pediatric Primary Brain Tumors
Introduction A limp. Blurry Vision. Poor speech. Uncontrollable laughter. Altered personality. Excessive thirst and hunger. Lethargy. Vomiting. Headache. Weakness. Seizures…. Anything that the brain controls, brain tumours can impact. Brain tumours are the leading cause of paediatric cancer-related morbidity and mortality and the 2nd most common cause of paediatric cancer following leukaemia. Most paediatric brain […]
Haemangioblastoma
Firstly what is a tumour? A solid tumour is an abnormal mass of cells that grows on human tissue. We call these cells ‘neoplastic’, meaning ‘new growth’ – these growths are neither requested nor required. We usually distinguish between malignant and benign tumours. Cancerous tumours can be malignant and so they can grow quickly or […]
Cluster Headaches
A cluster headache is a type of primary headache called a trigeminal autonomic cephalgia (or TAC). Cephal- refers to the head, whilst -algia means pain. So, a TAC means pain in the head, arising from the trigeminal nerve, with autonomic (involuntary) signs. The symptoms cluster in location and time, hence the name. Cause Currently, the […]
Hemifacial Spasm
What is it? Hemifacial spasm is a rare condition, affecting on average 4,000 people in the UK. A spasm is when a muscle, or group of muscles, contracts involuntarily, when they’re not supposed to. The word ‘hemifacial’ describes the area affected by the spasm – half of the face; most commonly the left side. Both […]