Gliomatosis cerebri (patient information)

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What is gliomatosis cerebri?

Gliomatosis cerebri is a very rare type of tumor affecting the brain. It can affect people of any age from infants to old. This kind of cancer can develop in different parts of the brain, so the symptoms may vary depending on the areas of the brain that are affected. Usual symptoms include headache, hydrocephalus, vomiting, unsteadiness, cognitive problems and symptoms of increased pressure inside skull. Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of them. Because gliomatosis cerebri may spread in the brain early, the prognosis is not good.

How do I know if I have gliomatosis cerebri and what are the symptoms of gliomatosis cerebri?

Because gliomatosis cerebri can develop in different parts of the brain and may spread in the brain early, the symptoms may vary. Usual symptoms include:

Headache

Hydrocephalus

Vomiting

Unsteadiness

Cognitive problems

Increased pressure inside skull

Behavioral problems

Seizure

Nausea

Personality changes

Vision problems

Other health problems may also cause these symptoms. Only a doctor can tell for sure. A person with any of these symptoms should tell the doctor so that the problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.

Who is at risk for gliomatosis cerebri?

At present, the risk factors for the development of gliomatosis cerebri are not known.

How to know you have gliomatosis cerebri?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Head MRI may be the most important test for the diagnosis of gliomatosis cerebri. An MRI uses magnetic fields but which is a different imaging type from computed tomography (CT) to produce detailed images of the body. Like computed tomography (CT), a contrast agent may be injected into a patient’s vein to create a better picture. MRI scan takes longer time than CT scan.

Computed tomography (CT) scan and biopsy: CT scans are often used to diagnose gliomatosis cerebri. It can confirm the location of the cancer and show the site where the cancer might have spread. These are helpful in staging the cancer and in determining whether surgery is a good treatment option. And CT scans can also be used to guide biopsy and a biopsy sample is then removed and looked at under a microscope.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scan: When doing this test, a small amount of a radioactive medium is injected into your body and absorbed by the organs or tissues. This radioactive substance gives off energy to accept to produce the images. PET can provide more helpful information than CT scan and MRI scan. It is useful to see if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes and also useful for your doctor to locate where the cancer has spread.

Chest X-ray: This plain x-ray of your chest may be done to see if the cancer has spread to your lungs.

Whole Bone Scan: The goal of a whole body bone scan is to show if a cancer has metastasized to your bones.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call your health care provider if symptoms of gliomatosis cerebri develop. If you experience either of the following symptoms, seeking urgent medical care as soon as possible: