Which department should I go to for brain tumor?

If most people often suffer from headaches in their lives, they must go to the hospital to check whether they have a head disease. The most serious head disease is brain tumor, because its main symptom is the growth of tumors in the human brain, and these tumors are likely to compress other nerves in the skull, causing symptoms such as blindness and headache. If you want to go to the hospital to check for a brain tumor, which department should you go to?

Typical symptoms

Headache, visual field changes, increased intracranial pressure

Recommended clinic department

Oncology, Neurosurgery

Best time to see a doctor

No special, see a doctor as soon as possible

Length of visit

One day is reserved for the first visit and half a day is reserved for each follow-up visit

Follow-up visit frequency/treatment cycle

Outpatient treatment: Follow-up visits every week until the follow-up period is gradually extended. After the headache is relieved, follow-up visits will be conducted if there is any discomfort. Severe cases require hospitalization and transfer to outpatient treatment after the intracranial pressure returns to normal.

Preparation before the visit

No special requirements, just take a rest.

Common questions

1. Describe the reason for the visit (when did you start feeling uncomfortable?)

2. Is the discomfort caused by obvious factors?

3. Are there any accompanying symptoms such as headache or vomiting?

4. Have you been to the hospital for treatment? What tests have you taken? What are the results?

5. How is the treatment going?

6. Do you have any history of drug allergy?

7. Is there anyone with a brain tumor in your family?

Key inspection items

1. Imaging examination

Including skull X-ray, radionuclide brain angiography, ventriculography and cisternography, cerebral angiography, etc. These examinations were once important diagnostic methods for neurological diseases. They not only have the significance of locating lesions, but also have certain qualitative diagnostic value. However, except for X-rays, these examinations are all damaging and should be selected carefully according to needs.

2. CT examination

The diagnosis rate of CT for intracranial tumors can reach over 90%, making it one of the main diagnostic methods for brain tumors. There are considerable histological differences between intracranial tumors and normal brain tissues. Different tissue structures have different CT values ​​and exhibit different densities, thus showing lesions on CT images.

3. Magnetic resonance imaging

MRI can provide clear anatomical background images, especially head images that are not interfered by posterior cranial fossa artifacts, have sharp contrast between brain gray and white matter, and can be sliced ​​in coronal, sagittal, and axial planes, making them superior to CT. Intravenous injection of a paramagnetic substance gadolinium (Gd) compound (Gd-DTPA) can significantly shorten the T-1 relaxation time of tissues. Therefore, it can be used as an enhancer to increase the contrast between lesions and normal brain tissues and improve the resolution of MRI. It is now generally believed that MRI should be the first choice for the diagnosis of neurological diseases.

Diagnostic criteria

The possibility of intracranial space-occupying lesions should be considered in patients with increased intracranial pressure and progressively worsening neurological symptoms. A detailed history and neurological examination may suggest the diagnosis of an intracranial tumor in some cases. In recent years, with the development of neuroimaging technology and functional examination technology, auxiliary examination has become the main means of diagnosing intracranial tumors.