Neurofibromatosis Research Paper

A person has a 0.55–0.7% chance of developing any type of brain tumor in their lifetime (Mohammadi and Schroeder 1). A brain tumor is a mass of abnormal cells located somewhere in the brain. Brain tumors can be caused by many different disorders including Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). Some tumors caused by this disorder are inoperable. Inoperable brain tumors can now be treated using new advanced technology. Technological advances provide new hope for patients who have inoperable brain tumors and TSC.

The primary ones include these types. Gliomas, the most common brain tumor involving the brain tissue. There are different grades and even types of gliomas. But if the tumor grade is higher, it will probably grow faster. Medullblastomas are brain tumors that in young children. Without treatment it will spread rapidly into the spinal fluid and other parts of the brain. But almost or half of the brain tumors found are benign. These types of brain tumors are usually Meningiomas and Neuromas. Meningiomas begin in the tissue membranes. Neuromas are in the nerves mostly in people over

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that attacks the myelin coating over the nerve receptors in your brain and spinal cord. Myelin is a fatty material that coats and protects the nerves in your brain. These nerves send signals to the rest of your body enabling

(2005) neurofibromatosis type II is a rare condition with an incidence of 1 in 25,000 persons and a penetrance of nearly 100% by age sixty. NFII is an autosomal dominant heritable neoplasia syndrome as defined by Asthagiri et al. (2012). The hallmark of this disorder is the development of bilateral acoustic neuromas, also known as cochleovestibular schwannomas (CVSs), on the auditory nerve. According to previous research, bilateral CVSs are present in 90-95% of NFII patients (Evans, et al., 1992). These non-cancerous tumors are a result of an NFII gene mutation specifically affecting a protein called merlin, also known as schwannomin. This protein acts as a suppressor, keeping cells from growing too rapidly. When the mutation occurs in the gene, it leads to a production of non-functioning merlin protein that cannot regulate growth and division of cells leading to acoustic neuromas. Although it is known how these neuromas form, the way that these neuromas cause hearing loss is not yet fully understood. Asthagiri et al. (2012) stated that “the most frequently cited hypothesis is that the enlarging CVS causes hearing loss through direct compression and stretching of the cochlear nerve.” Neurofibromatosis type II is characterized by bilateral acoustic neuromas, and the surgery to remove these neuromas generally results in severe damage to the auditory nerve causing deafness (Jackson, Mark, Helms, and Behr,

The diseases associated with FUBP1 include oligodendrogliomas, astrocytomas, and oligoastrocytomas. Oligodendrogliomas are primary glial brain tumors and can be either low-grade (grade II) or high-grade (grade III). [2] Since oligodendrogliomas have a slow growth rate, they are often present for years before they are diagnosed. Nevertheless, the most common symptoms include: seizures, headaches, and personality changes. Altogether, the symptoms vary by location and size of the tumor. About 66 to 78 % of people with grade II oligodendroglioma survive for about 5 years after diagnoses, while 30 to 38 % of people with grade III will survive for about 5 years after they are diagnosed. [3] Astrocytoma is another type of brain cancer that stats in the cerebrum, which is the largest part of the brain, but can also appear in the cerebellum, which is the back of the brain. It is more common in men than in women. Like oligodendrogliomas, the most common symptoms of astrocytomas include: headaches, seizure, changes in behavior and memory loss. [4] Prognosis of astrocytomas depends on the type of astrocytoma. Altogether, a low-grade astrocytoma (LGA) has an 83 % 10-year overall survival, while the overall survival rate of a high-grade astrocytoma (HGA) range between 15-20%. In both oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas, the FUBP1 locus is mutated which leads to the inactivation of

There are fewer symptoms for this type than NF1. There are fewer brown spots on the body. This disorder is noted for the frequency of tumors found on the spinal cord and brain. These tumors more often than not cause loss of hearing or a ringing sounds to occur in the ears.

Type 1 signs are birthmarks, freckles, neurofibromas, and lisch nodules. If 6 or more birthmarks appear on a child before the age of 5 the type 1 neurofibromatosis would be considered. If outbreaks of freckles in unlikely places such as groin and armpits this could be a possible sign for type 1. If neurofibromas (which is non-cancerous tumors that may grow on nerves of skin) appear deeper inside the body this may also be considered a sign for type 1. Also, if lisch nodules appear in the iris of the eye, this can also be a sign for neurofibromatosis type 1. Type 2 signs are acoustic neuroma, other tumors, and cataracts. Acoustic neuroma are tumors that develop next to the eighth cranial nerve, which goes from the brain to the inner ear. Acoustic neuroma is the most common sign of type 2 and has symptoms of facial numbness, gradual hearing loss, loss of balance, ringing of the ear, vertigo, and facial weakness. If other tumors develop on skin, brain, or spinal cord then this is a sign of type 2. For older people, cataracts can also be a sign for type 2

NF2 normally has a worse prognosis. Much of the complications from these tumors occurs from their treatment.

Some symptoms of brain tumors can be someone experiencing a seizure for the first, usually occurring in older patients. Because the all areas of the brain are what control the functions of the body, certain areas where the brain tumor is located may cause gradual speech impairments, or physical impairments such as difficulty walking. A lesser symptom of brain tumors would be headaches that can be caused by compression of the tissue which can occur in any age of a patient with this type of

Schwannomas are most commonly non-cancerous and begin in the hearing nerve. The hearing nerve can also be called the acoustic nerve, 8th cranial nerve, or the vestibulocochlear nerve. For the most part, this type of tumor is found in between the cerebellum and the pons at an angle. This type of tumor exhibits slow growth as these tumors slowly grow they move nerve fibers which can cause complications. Furthermore, they can form in any nerve that is peripheral as long as Schwann cells are present. If the Schwannomas form in the spinal canal they can form in a dumbbell shape which can then move in or out of the spinal canal using the nerve root. The main

Vestibular Schwannoma, or Auditory (Acoustic) Neuroma, is a slow growing benign tumor that arises from the vestibular branch of the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII). Tumor growth is due to the an uncontrolled and over-production of Schwann Cells. Vestibular Schwannoma is very rare (usually one in 100,000 per year) and mostly affects people between ages 30 to 60 years old. Common symptoms of Vestibular Schwannoma include hearing loss, unilateral tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or balance problems (or even vertigo). Vestibular Schwannoma is noncancerous and a noninvasive tumor, but it could become life threatening if it grows larger due to its close proximity of the brain stem and the cerebellum. Facial weakness or paralysis and recurring headaches are symptoms of large tumor growth in the vestibular nerve.

Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder caused by a gene mutation on chromosomes 17 or 22. Beginning in the nervous system, this disorder can create multiple tumors throughout the body, although for NF1, tumors are mostly located on the spine. But NF2 can also cause tumors to grow on the cranium, which can damage sight or hearing. There is also a third type of neurofibromatosis, but little is known about it.

A brain tumor is an irregular growth of tissue in the brain or central spine that can disturb proper brain function. There are two types of brain tumors that can either be considered malignant (cancerous), or benign (noncancerous). Doctors denote a tumor according to where in the body the tumor originated. Tumors that are designated as benign are noncancerous because they are the least aggressive type. They begin from cells surrounding the brain, however, they are not comprised of cancerous cells. A malignant tumor is the most life-threatening tumor, as the cancer cells do not have clear borders; thus, they grow rapidly without a clear sign of where it is in proximity to the brain tissue. Furthermore, the other well-known brain tumors are primary

Brain Tumors- Most common cancer in childhood and occur in 25% of all childhood cancers. Neoplasms can come from any cell, which means tumors can form in all different areas of the brain. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Clinical manifestations of brain tumors are directed towards the affected area. Most common symptom is a headache and vomiting. Neurological changes, behavioral changes, cranial nerve neuropathy and vital sign disturbances may occur depending on the location of the brain tumor. Diagnosis is based on the symptoms the patient presents with. CT and MRI are most commonly used. Tissue specimens are collected and tested. Results help with the diagnosis. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Not all have to

The stage of tumor is based on the image of the cell observed on the microscope. Late-stage tumors are more abnormal and grow faster than early tumors. Until now, the exact cause of brain tumor is unknown. It is difficult to explain why some people have a brain tumor but not others. However, the brain tumor is clearly a disease that does not spread from person to person. Studies have shown that there are several factors risk for the formation of primary brain tumors such as men tend to have more brain tumors than women, yet meningioma is more common in women; or brain tumors are more happen in whites than in other races. Not only that, the majority of brain tumors occur in people 70 years and older; however, brain tumors are the second most common cancer in children after leukemia, especially in children less 8 years