Ganglioglioma
Overview
Ganglioglioma or gangliocytoma refers a tumour that arises from ganglion cells in the central nervous system. While they are most well known as occurring in the temporal lobe of the brain, they can occur anywhere in the brain, or in the spinal cord. Gangliogliomas in the brain are often associated with seizures.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of a ganglioglioma, however each child may experience symptoms differently. Common symptoms may comprise headache, vomiting, fatigue and others may experience seizures and weakness on one side of the body.
Diagnosis
- Complement of large and essentially mature neurons unassociated, by definition, with recognizably embryonal elements
- Variants:
- Melanotic
- ganglion cell tumors associated with:
- (possibly progenitory) glioneuronal hamartomas
- other maldevelopmental cerebrocortical anomalies
- Melanotic
- dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors
- ‘Intrasellar gangliocytomas’:
- heterogeneous collection of benign lesions
- small minority may represent ganglion cell tumors ab initio or ectopic hypothalamic-type neuronal hamartomas
- ‘Intrasellar gangliocytomas’:
Treatment
Treatment of ganglioglioma may comprise surgery and radiation therapy. Radiation therapy utilizes high-energy rays (radiation) from a specialized machine to damage or destroy cancer cells and minimize tumors. Your child's tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies. Children with gangligliomas may have side effects related to the tumor itself and its treatment.