AN/Brainstem

[Jackie]

Looking for opinions on position of AN in regards to the brain stem. Must the AN be PRESSING on the brainstem for problems or just be next to it???
Greatly appreciate your opinions, please!
Jackie

[Jim Scott]

Jackie ~

I'm not a doctor, obviously, but to the best of my knowledge, its the size and location of the AN that causes problems.  Pressing on the brainstem (as mine was) exacerbates problems.  My AN was very large (4.5 cm) but only caused problems (imbalance, loss of taste, intermittent 'stabbing' pain) in the 6 months prior to my diagnosis.  By then, it was pressing hard on my brainstem and had to be removed (well, debulked, actually) quickly - and it was.  All of my symptoms ceased immediately following the surgery.  The neurosurgeon said the AN was really pressing the brainstem and he was surprised that my symptoms weren't worse.  However, sometime small ANs can cause bigger problems tha the large ones.  Go figure. 

Jim

[Tod]

Jackie, I read your question earlier and have been thinking about it for awhile. Echoing Jim, I am not a doctor, and my tumor was of a similar size to Jim's. However, in my case I was told I had three to six months to deal with this or face coma and death. I had a lot of compression.

Going back to your question though, I still have the same thought I had earlier: what else is going to be compressed? By definition, a "brain tumor"   is going to exist inside the skull. In that case, since there is limited room,the tumor is going have compress something, right? (Once it gets to a large enough size.) So, if it is not compressing the brain stem, it is going to compress other areas of the brain.

There are people who I sometimes feel could have a softball-sized brain tumor and suffer no compression at all, but that is probably just me being mean.

-Tod

[mk]

Brainstem compression is an obvious danger, as everyone else has mentioned. Sometimes even if the brain stem is very distorted and/or compressed there may be minimal symptoms, and vice versa.
Another danger is distortion of 4th ventricle which can block the flow of CSF and cause hydrocephalus.

Marianna

[sunfish]

Well, last month's MRI report said my AN is "mildly deforming the brain stem and middle cerebellar peduncle."  On the other hand, the report also says there is "no edema associated with this."  What does all this mean?  I sure have trouble getting a straight answer from the doctors.

However, although you don't have to be a radiologist to see that I have a nice litttle dent in my brainstem, the AN is clearly not compressing ventricles, etc.  I don't think I have any worse symptoms than any other AN patient, with the exception of my abruptly high blood pressure over the past year.  I have the typical hearing loss, tinnitus, wonky head, and lousy balance. 

I guess I can sort of sum it all up to answer your question, at least in my case, the AN is clearly touching the brain stem with little apparent effect, other than what one would normally have with an AN.

One year after  CK, I'm still working hard to adjust to the "new normal," and do as much as I can despite my limitations.

[sunfish]

Should have also noted above that, February MRI showed AN has turned dark in the center.  You also don't have to be a radiologist to see that sucker looks deader than a doornail!

[mattsmum]

hi - i was wondering what problems in particular you were wondering about? it will only cause brainstem problems, such as the hydrocephalus mentioned above if it is pressing on it. but ANs can cause lots of other troubles by pressing on a number of the cranial nerves after they have left the brain stem, or the cerebellum which is close by. the reason that ANs can get to up to a couple of cm before pressing on the brainstem is that they tend to grow in the cerebellopontine angle - which is a fluid-filled space between the brain stem and cerebellum, crossed by cranial nerves.  it does vary considerably between individuals though - mine is 'only' 1.6cm but clearly pressing on both brainstem and cerebellum with inflammatory changes around it on mri.
vikki