Long-lasting headache due to brain tumor without knowing it

Ms. Thy thought the headache was due to lack of sleep, age, inappropriate lifestyle, and internal medicine treatment at the local hospital did not cure her, so she went to Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7 for examination. The results of a 3 Tesla brain MRI scan showed that the tumor was located in the extra-axial skull (outside the brain parenchyma), nearly 2 cm in diameter in the right frontal area, next to the cerebral crescent – the boundary separating the right hemisphere of the brain. with the left hemisphere.

On October 1, Doctor II Dang Bao Ngoc, specializing in Neurosurgery, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that this is a meningioma. Because the tumor size is not too large, the patient does not have signs yet. Localized neurological signs (cognitive and behavioral signs due to localized damage to a region of the central nervous system), only persistent headache symptoms, leading to confusion with medical diseases, passed in diagnosis.

The patient needs surgery to remove the tumor to avoid the tumor growing and pressing on the adjacent cerebral cortex, causing damage to the brain area, leading to dangerous complications such as epilepsy or weakness of the opposite side.

Ms. Thy was operated on to remove the tumor by the surgical team of Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City. The doctor incised the patient’s right forehead about 3 cm and drilled a small hole to open the skull. The surgical team used the new generation AI neuro-navigation system Neuro-Navigation Curve BrainLab combined with the K.Zeiss Kinevo 900 microsurgical microscope, with the latest generation 3D fluoroscopy function to open the dura mater and gain access. The tumor is safe, does not damage surrounding healthy brain structures.

According to Dr. Ngoc, the tumor is not invasive but presses on the motor and sensory cortex of the brain. Wrong operations during surgery can also leave serious neurological sequelae such as weakness on the left side of the body, loss of sensation in an area of ​​the body or post-operative epilepsy. Next, the doctor uses the Cusa ultrasonic suction removal system to break down the tumor structure and completely remove it.

4 days after surgery, the patient’s health recovered well, headache symptoms decreased, eating and living were almost normal. The results of a post-operative brain scan showed that the tumor was completely removed and the brain tissue around the tumor was not damaged. The patient was discharged from the hospital and re-examined after a week. Pathological results confirmed that the tumor was benign and did not require additional treatment