Medulloblastoma belongs to the number of congenital neuroectodermal tumors of the human brain, the development of which begins with embryonic cells, in most cases the initial origin of the tumor occurs in the cerebellum and posterior part of the cranial fossa.
Medulloblastoma is a fairly rare formation that affects the central nervous system of a person and which, in any course, causes metastases, which in turn can metastasize along the pathways of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and into bone tissue.
In medical terminology, it is also called granuloblastoma, embryonic neuroglioma or glioma sarcomatous.
The special feature of this education is that it develops mainly in childhood and ranks 2nd among malignant brain formations that are diagnosed in children. So, for example, before the age of 10, it can be detected in 70% of cases of development of intrauterine formations.
Interesting is the fact that it develops only in boys. Among adults, the incidence of this pathology is only 4%.
Contents of
- Varieties of gliomas sarcomatous
- Reasons for the development of
- formation Symptomatic
- Diagnosis of the tumor
- How is the treatment performed
- Related problems
- Prognosis and prophylaxis
Varieties of glioma sarcomatous
Medulloblata species are determined depending on many indicators, for example, there is a classification thatsubdivides the tumor depending on the site of its localization:
- medulloblastoma, arrangedcamping in the cerebellum;
- embryonic neuralgia of the posterior cranial fossa;
- swelling of the fossa worm;
- granuloblastoma, affecting the spinal cord.
Separate medulloblastomas also depending on the degree of its malignancy: 
- 1 degree is one of the benign formations, which is characterized by a low level of endogenousness;
- 2 degree - in this case the probability of the degeneration of benign cells into malignant cells becomes higher;
- 3 and 4, the degree of of the tumor process is manifested by a sharp deterioration in the patient's health status and such education will have a very high level of malignancy.
Reasons for the development of
education To date, scientists have not been able to specifically identify a number of factors that would have caused the development of medulloblastoma in humans.
Despite this, some scientists hold the view that the hereditary predisposition, as well as negative factors on the part of the external environment( various carcinogens, ionizing radiation) play a big role in the formation of the tumor.
Symptomatic
In most cases, the course of the disease is accompanied by the manifestation of hydrocephalus symptoms. This is due to abnormalities that occur during the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid, as well as with increased intracranial pressure.
A patient diagnosed with a medulloblastoma brain is often troubled by the following unpleasant symptoms:
- acute long-term headaches;
- frequent dizziness;
- fast fatigue;
- change in a person's gait;
- often shows unexplained nausea and vomiting;
- lost the ability to write normally( handwriting changes);
- disrupted the functioning of the pelvic organs( the patient has incontinence and urinary incontinence);
- syncope;
- frequent change of mood;
- in some cases shows drowsiness;
- pain in the back and lower back;
- the inability to independently carry out any movement of the upper or lower limbs.
Depending on the duration of the course of the disease, unpleasant symptoms of an illness can increase and change its intensity. Because of this, quite often the patient begins to change relationships with close relatives and friends, the child becomes more and more difficult to engage in school( sometimes even the lesson of a usual letter can cause him a feeling of discomfort).
Diagnosis of a tumor
In order for a specialist to be able to make an accurate diagnosis and schedule a further treatment plan, each patient needs to undergo a thorough medical examination. This will determine the degree of development of the tumor and its level of malignancy.
In particular, such studies are mandatory:
- Computer tomography .This procedure without the use of contrast agent is able in 95% of all cases to accurately detect the malignant formation of the brain. In the picture, CT formation has a rather dense structure and a significant mass.
- Magnetic resonance imaging .This procedure is aimed at studying not only the brain, but also the spinal cord of the patient. It is carried out without the use of gadolinium.
- Biopsy is performed to establish microscopic leptomeningual formations. Even if the previous tests gave a negative result, you should not be completely sure that metastases did not form during the course of the disease. This may require additional research.
- Study of cerebrospinal fluid .
Based on the results, the doctor makes a further plan for treating the patient.
How is
treated? It is very important that the treatment of the medulloblastoma of the cerebellum is carried out in a complex manner. So, after the surgical intervention, it is necessary to use chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The set of measures used:
- Surgical intervention of is the direct removal of the formation itself from the patient's brain. Operation
is quite heavy, therefore it requires high professionalism from the surgeon. In order to gain access to the brain, craniotomy is performed. - Radiation therapy is the effect of ionizing rays, which allow to stop the growth of malignant cells and even eliminate them.
- Chemotherapy allows to supplement the complex therapy, which allows increasing the effectiveness of radiation exposure.
- Radiosurgery at this stage is the safest and most effective method of combating medulloblastoma. To carry it out, the Cyber Knife is used, and the Gamma Knife with which direct irradiation of the cerebellum and brain structures at different angles occurs.
The treatment course also includes the use in large doses of such drugs as Cyclophosphamide, Lomustine, Carboplatin, Cisplatin and Vincristine.
The main indication for the use of these drugs is the maximum likelihood of getting rid of the tumor itself, the presence of 
metastases and the age of the patient. It is very important to strictly follow the prescription of a specialist and not to change the dose of the prescribed drug yourself.
At the end of the treatment in the medical facility for the patient, you need to create the most comfortable conditions at home. It is very important to paint his day by the hour, with special attention to be given to nutrition, sleep and wakefulness. Relatives will have to come up with different dishes, which will be prepared on the basis of allowed products.
Important for the patient is also the maximum support of his family and friends. Regular communication and general pastime will help to recover faster and not to lose heart.
As supportive therapy, people's methods of treatment can be resorted to. They can not completely get rid of the unpleasant manifestations of the ailment, but it is quite within their power to suspend and maintain the patient's condition in a relative order.
Associated Problems
The development of medulloblastoma can cause the development of the following complications:
- obstructive hydrocephalus;
- violations of the neurological plan;
- pain from manifested metastases;
- after chemotherapy there is a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood, thrombocytopenia;
- also significantly increases the likelihood of bleeding, viral and bacterial infections;
- after irradiation can be observed diseases of the endocrine system, microangiopathy of mineralizing origin with myocardial damage, thyroid disease and heart disease.
Prognosis and preventive measures
In order to prevent the development of negative consequences of medulloblastoma, it is very important to diagnose the disease as early as possible and to start its immediate treatment.
The probability of a lethal outcome after an operative intervention is about 5%.After 5 years of life with a similar diagnosis, only 20-30% survive.
It is established that the smaller the age of the baby, the more dangerous and harder the disease will be. For this purpose, experts recommend conducting timely medical examinations and monitoring the child's health very scrupulously. 
Specific preventive measures that would prevent the development of malignant formation, does not exist.
The only thing that scientists managed to establish is that during pregnancy, a woman must necessarily take vitamins, they greatly reduce the risk of developing such neoplasms in the baby.
Medulloblastoma is one of the most dangerous malignant neoplasms affecting the brain of the child, there are no precise reasons for its development, however, in order to avoid the negative consequences of the disease and improve the prognosis, it is very important to diagnose it in time and start treating it.
Important in this case will be the lifestyle and nutrition of the child. To maintain the vital forces of the body, all necessary vitamins and microcells must enter it. Take care of their health is also the responsibility of future mothers!
