Glioma
| Glioma | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Glioma in the left parietal lobe (brain CT scan), WHO grade 2. | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Oncology |
| ICD-10 | C71 |
| ICD-9-CM | 191 |
| ICD-O | M9380/3-9460/3 |
| DiseasesDB | 31468 |
| MeSH | D005910 |
A glioma is a type of tumor that starts in the brain or spine. It is called a glioma because it arises from glial cells. The most common site of gliomas is the brain. Gliomas make up about 30% of all brain and central nervous system tumors and 80% of all malignant brain tumors.
Gliomas are classified by cell type, by grade, and by location.
Gliomas are named according to the specific type of cell with which they share histological features, but not necessarily from which they originate. The main types of gliomas are:
Gliomas are further categorized according to their grade, which is determined by pathologic evaluation of the tumor.
Of numerous grading systems in use, the most common is the World Health Organization (WHO) grading system for astrocytoma, under which tumors are graded from I (least advanced disease—best prognosis) to IV (most advanced disease—worst prognosis).
Gliomas can be classified according to whether they are above or below a membrane in the brain called the tentorium. The tentorium separates the cerebrum (above) from the cerebellum (below).
Symptoms of gliomas depend on which part of the central nervous system is affected. A brain glioma can cause headaches, vomiting, seizures, and cranial nerve disorders as a result of increased intracranial pressure. A glioma of the optic nerve can cause visual loss. Spinal cord gliomas can cause pain, weakness, or numbness in the extremities. Gliomas do not metastasize by the bloodstream, but they can spread via the cerebrospinal fluid and cause "drop metastases" to the spinal cord.
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Wikipedia