ANA Discussion Forum
Archive => Archives => Topic started by: Raydean on July 18, 2006, 05:38:30 pm
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A few months ago on one of the threads the subject came up on why AN's are considered brain tumors. There was an excellent reply that answered the question. Does anyone remember the answer? I believe it had something to do with cranial nerves. I think it was kathleen that provided the answer, mark also replied.
Thanks in advance
Raydean
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An acoustic neuroma is a tumor arising from the lining of the nerve cells on cranial nerve 8. The 12 Cranial nerves go from the brain to the structures in the head and neck. While not technically IN the brain, and not a tumor of brain tissue itself, the neuroma is a central nervous system tumor that is ON the brain.
Is this what you were looking for? I hope it helps!
Amy
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Hi Raydean,
This might be one of the ones you were thinking of re: AN as a Brain tumor
based on the friendly little debate on whether an AN is a brain tumor, I posed the question on the CPSG board to see if any of the doctors would respond.
Here is the answer from Dr. Spunberg
From my medical school training, we were always taught that the cranial nerves were in fact an extension of the brain, so that an acoustic neuroma would be a brain tumor, whether inside the skull or not. For example, when we look inside the eye during a fundoscopic exam to visualize the optic nerve head, to check for papilledema, we allways viewed that nerve as the one portion of the brain that you could actually see directly, without the need for a craniotomy.
Therefore, I would call an AN a brain tumor...a rose by any other name, would still be a rose.
Jerome J. Spunberg, M.D., FACR, FACRO
Cyberknife Center Of Palm Beach
jspunberg@radiationoncologyinstitute.com
(561) 799-2828
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This is an old verbal spewing to my mind...
Is it a brain tumour/is it not etc.....
kinda weird thinking for me as i think anything that is in the head/ + is on ANY nerve coming out of the brain stem and is on any branch wiggling along the inside of the head, sort of is making itself known in the head etc......
Frankly, who the %$#@! if an AN is called a brain tumour or not?
Semantics , really.....
it sure does create /cause symptoms tho in the head...... and it sure does affect things in the brain. ( reading abstracts sure tells me the "brain" is affected by an An)
good thing is soo many can have treatment where it is "smuffled"/dead" etc... whether by surgical removal by the drilling of a hole in your head/ or Ck or FSR or GK where the the AN is cut off with dna replication... doesn't matter what, really, as long as it is "inactive"....
windsong
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Actually some Docs/surgeons prefer to call them
"lower skull base tumous" (which is the other "official" name)
They can push/compress against the brain - but they very rarely
actually grow into the brain
best regards
Tony
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Hi all...
My medical insurance in the UK does not cover 'brain' tumours but they are happy to pay out for 'cranial nerve' tumours therefore I definitely do not have a brain tumour!
Regards
Derek
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Thanks everyone for your replies. The same question came up on another board that I'm on and I
wanted to share the information that I received here. You guys are terrific!
Have a great day.
Raydean
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my thoughts... it's an ugly head booger that don't belong! :D
*runs out quick before slapped by the wenches!* :-*