Headache due to a brain tumor ??
January 21, 2011 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg
Hello,
I would like to tell you about my problem:
About 3 weeks ago, on the last day of my vacation, I started experiencing mild throbbing (pressure in the head) headaches. They improved at night, but have been occurring and getting stronger since that day. In these 3 weeks, I have had 2 attacks of pain, where I had to take medication. Otherwise, there is constantly this pressure in the front of my head, which is usually better at night or even disappears, but starts again after waking up.
The pain is almost always on the left temple, also on the left side of my head, sometimes even extending to the nose (a kind of pressure). At the same time, my left eye burns. My eyes have been examined, and papilledema has been ruled out. My nose is not running and I do not have a cold.
Yesterday, the pain was also on the other side, right temple and even to the back of my head.
Medical history:
- 2002 MRI of the skull (Pineal cyst 13x9mm) without findings
- 2007 CT of the skull without findings
- April 2010 MRI of the skull (Pineal cyst 13x9mm) without findings
I have always had headaches, which used to originate from my neck and move towards the front. This time, it always starts at the front. Pressure in the forehead, temple, and above the temple. Currently, my cheekbone feels like it's tingling.
I am completely distraught and I think I have a brain tumor.
Dear patient,
I believe that you do not have a brain tumor. Although I cannot provide a conclusive diagnosis that exactly matches your symptoms, there are some indications in your medical history that speak against a tumor genesis. Firstly, there are the 3 CT scans taken at intervals of several years, which do not show any morphological evidence. All tumors, including brain tumors, tend to grow and displace or infiltrate the local tissue. These changes should be noticeable in the CT scans over time. Additionally, the location and nature of the pain are extremely variable, which also argues against a tumor. Tumors usually cause similar symptoms consistently. Brain tumors usually do not cause pain at all, or only when they are so large that they exert significant pressure on the surrounding tissue and connective tissue. This should be detectable in the CT scans.
One more idea for further investigation: the artery on the left temple (a. temp. ext.) should be examined to see if there is a change (giant cell arteritis) that could at least partially cause such symptoms. If no cause for the pain attacks can be found, one may have to resort to a purely pain therapy, carried out by pain therapy specialists. I hope I was able to 1. convince you that a brain tumor is not very likely, and 2. provide you with some suggestions on what else you can do. I remain with best wishes for a full recovery. Dr. R. Berg
