Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 3/6/2010

Question
The reason for so many CT scans is she was having so many seizures and would fall and hit her head and they were afraid when she fell that it could have caused a bleed in her brain.  She had many CT scans for this reason as well as for the fluid on her brain.  They put a shunt in and it took about a week in the hospital for the fluid to stabilize.  They repeated CT scans because she continuously kept vomiting even with the antinausea medication.  Severe headaches was another reason for the CT scans as well.  MRI's were done in many cases and are done every 6 months right now, but so many times she was airlifted to the hospital after a seizure and falling and hitting her head.  I guess the ER doctors were making sure there was no trauma to her head after falling. The MRI report says there is redemonstration of an enhancing stellate lesion within the surgical bed and surrounding gliosis. The next part of the report says there is a 4mm nodular enhancing focus along the lateral aspect of the occipital horn of the right ventricle, seen only on the post contrast axial flair images and appears more conspicuous when compared to prior exams.  She has been through allot in the past 10 years and my wife and I are just scared this is going to be another tumor in a different spot because our neurosurgeon said he did not know what else it could be since it started taking in contrast. We are just concerned about all the CT scans she has been through in the past causing problems later in life. Can you please give your opinion on this matter after reading the MRI report?  Thank you for time.

Answer
OK I understand. It is quite possible that her tumor is coming back but it is still too ealy to tell. There may be scar tissue there too and that makes an evaluation hard.  Her great problem is her tumor. Compared to that her CT scans are a very minor problem that we can put aside at the moment.


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