Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 7/1/2010

Question
Hi-

I have spoken to you previously about my husband's low-grade intramedullary tumor, but in recent months he has been having accelerating symptoms of an intracranial one including sharp stabbing headaches that go away quickly, personality changes, fatigue, neckpain, aphasia, dizziness, nausea and he has also had two short siezures in the night that I have awoken to but he has not.

A week ago he had an MRI done of his brain as well as his spine.  The result from the hospital that originally found the tumor is that there is no change in the spinal one (despite the fact that he went from being asymptomatic when it was found to being in severe back and chest pain and having gait disturbances 18 months later) and no sign of an intracranial tumor. I don't have a lot of faith in this hospital as they were unable to originally diagnose the problem on the first MRIs.  A second hospital where we had scans done six months ago were the ones to determine it was an astrocytoma.

Should we get a second opinion on the scans?  Could there be another cause for the siezures and other symptoms?  Could they be caused by the spinal tumor obstructing CNS fluid?  Could an intracranial tumor be too small to show on the MRI and still cause this many problems?  He has only been showing these signs for about two months and he is rapidly deteriorating.  He has a low immune system and I know this is a sign of possible dissemination.

Thank you for your help.

Answer
Well, in view of previously bad performance level it is probably best to ask for a second opinion. Almost anything and everything is possible. So it is probably best to await the result of such a second opinion before we discuss what this is or may be in order to avoid too much speculation. Please do keep me posted!




You can also reach me on: http://www.lifestylerescue.com/expert/health-fitness-advice/dr-claes-gustaf/128     There is no restriction to the number of questions there.