Colon cancer and back pain: What to know
What To Know About An Olfactory Groove Meningioma
Olfactory groove meningioma (OGM) is a rare tumor that develops in the brain's outer layers. It grows along the nerves that connect the brain to the nose and most commonly affects a person's sense of smell. OGMs are typically noncancerous.
OGM cells tend to develop slowly and do not spread from their original site. Doctors call these benign. Meningioma is a tumor that develops in the brain and spinal cord's outer layer, known as the meninges.
This article explains the symptoms, causes, and treatments for OGM.
An OGM is a slow-growing, benign tumor that doctors often diagnose during brain scans for unrelated symptoms. It develops in the meninges.
The meninges are three protective layers that cover the brain, including:
Sometimes, clusters of cells grow from the arachnoid mater through the dura mater and into the space around the eye. These are called arachnoid cap cells and are usually harmless. OGMs and other meningiomas can develop from these cells. An OGM develops in a groove at the base of the skull.
According to a 2022 case report, OGMs are a rare type of meningioma that accounts for around 4–18% of meningioma diagnoses and 2% of all brain tumors overall.
They are more common in females than males. In the United States, OGMs may develop in around 0.008% of females and 0.003% of males yearly.
However, the American Cancer Society considers meningiomas to be the most common type of brain tumor, even though they do not strictly occur inside the brain.
OGMs do not often cause symptoms until they reach at least 4 centimeters. Once OGMs reach this size, they may compress areas of the brain and nervous system, including the optic nerve and the frontal lobe.
When they occur, symptoms most commonly include the following:
Other symptoms might include:
Tumors develop as a result of changes in the genes that inform cells to grow and divide. These might occurs due to:
However, the underlying causes of these gene changes remain unclear. Several factors might increase a person's risk for OGMs, including:
No strong evidence suggests that using a cell phone or experiencing head trauma can increase a person's risk of developing OGM.
A doctor often does not recommend treatment for individuals with a small OGM or a tumor that does not cause symptoms. They may advise continued observations.
A doctor may also arrange checkups and monitor the growth of the tumor every 6 months through scans.
According to a 2023 systematic review, treating OGMs aims to:
Surgeons can achieve this through two possible surgical procedures: craniotomy and endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA).
A craniotomy involves removing a section of the skull, and EEA involves entering through the nose to perform surgery on the brain or top of the spine.
Both procedures may require a hospital stay of around 5–7 days and roughly 2–3 weeks of recovery at home.
Doctors may also propose stereotactic radiation therapy for people, depending on the location of the tumor.
CraniotomyCraniotomy involves the following:
For people with an OGM, a surgeon will remove part or all of the tumor where possible while preserving the surrounding brain tissue.
EEAThis type of surgery involves inserting a lighted, flexible tube called an endoscope through the nose. During the procedure, a neurosurgeon and an ear, nose, and throat surgeon work together to remove the tumor.
A 2018 review concluded that EEA surgery is effective for small OGM tumors that have already removed a person's sense of smell. This procedure may also be helpful alongside craniotomy surgery for tumors that return after treatment and move into the nose.
Stereotactic radiation therapyA doctor may also request this procedure if the tumor is not close to the eye or nerves or if the individual's age or overall health means they are not likely to tolerate surgery well. However, this is not an extended course of radiation therapy, as with some cancers. Instead, doctors will often give a single dose of high powered radiation therapy in one session.
People who receive stereotactic radiation will often be able to return to most typical activities within a week, although they might not experience immediate improvements in their sense of smell. Radiation therapy might cause nausea, headaches, and fatigue as side effects.
Most people with an OGM have a good outlook and remain tumor-free for 5 years. A 2018 study found that in a sample of 43 people who received treatment for an OGM, the tumor returned within 5 years for 11.6% of the participants.
The study authors identified certain factors and features of the tumor that may make recurrence more likely, including:
A 2021 analysis followed the symptoms of 17 people who underwent OGM resection. The researchers found that people showed overall cognitive impairment straight after the procedure but that this improved in most areas over the next year.
However, scores ranking cognitive flexibility, memory, inhibition, and attention remained lower after a year than the average scores of people without an OGM.
An OGM develops in the brain's outer layer and grows along the nerves connecting the brain to the nose. They grow slowly and may not show symptoms for years. However, this rare, benign tumor can affect vision, sense of smell, and cognition.
Treatment often involves removing part or all of the tumor, either through open surgery on the skull or via the nose. Most people recover fully and have a good outlook. However, the tumor returns for some people.
Michael Strahan's 19-year-old Daughter, Isabella, Announces She Has Brain Tumor
LOS ANGELES (TND) — Michael Strahan, a former professional football player who is now an anchor at Good Morning America, appeared as a guest on the show alongside his 19-year-old daughter as they announced her battle with a brain tumor.
He and Isabella joined his collegue, Robin Roberts, for an interview that aired Thursday morning.
This is something that is so personal that I didn't know if it would be something that she would want to share," he said during the interview. "But her idea was, 'I want to share it and I want to help other people,' and that goes into the spirit of who she's always been."
Good Morning America reported Isabella first started experiencing symptoms in the fall. She had just started her freshman year at the University of Southern California.
I didn't notice anything was off till probably like October 1," she told Roberts. "That's when I definitely noticed headaches, nausea, couldn't walk straight."
Isabella said she knew something was wrong when she woke up one morning throwing up blood. She and her father said she was later diagnosed with medulloblastoma.
"It didn't feel real," Strahan said during the interview.
The media outlet said Isabella is being treated at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University, which defined medulloblastoma as "a malignant brain tumor that primarily affects children between the ages of 5 and 9. It develops in the cerebellum, a part of the brain responsible for coordination."
In a description on its website, the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center noted the tumors are fast-growing and can spread to other parts of the central nervous system.
Isabella told Roberts she underwent emergency surgery at Cedars-Sinai to remove the mass, which she said was about the size of a golf ball. She then underwent a month of rehabilitation and multiple rounds of radiation treatment, according to Good Morning America.
So, I just finished radiation therapy, which is proton radiation, and I got to ring the bell yesterday," she told the media outlet. "It was great. It was very exciting because it's been a long 30 sessions, six weeks."
Good Morning America reported Isabella will soon start chemotherapy at Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center in North Carolina. She said she will also partner with Duke to document her journey in a new YouTube series.
"I hope to just kind of be a voice, and be [someone] who people, maybe [those who] are going through chemotherapy or radiation can look at," she told Roberts.
Her father said it hasn't been an easy journey, but added he is impressed with his daughter's resilience.
"I'm very proud of her," he said. "She has always been strong."
The former football star shared photos from the interview on social media. He also thanked fans for their well wishes.
"I love you Isabella and I'm always by your side," he wrote on X. "To all sending love, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!"
PEOPLE reported Strahan and his ex-wife, Jean Muggli, have two children, including Isabella and her twin sister, Sophia. He also has two older children, 32- year-old Tanita and Michael Jr., 29, with his first wife, Wanda Hutchins.
The Science Of Health: Are Spinal Cord Injuries Irreversible? Know Science Advances That Can Cure Them In The Future
Spinal cord injuries: Welcome back to "The Science Of Health", ABP Live's weekly health column. Last week, we discussed why the higher a spinal cord injury, the more severe the damage. This week, we explain whether spinal cord injuries are irreversible, and discuss science advances that can cure spinal cord injuries in the future. Spinal cord injuries can occur due to traffic accidents, sports-related injuries, medical malpractice, slip-and-fall accidents, acts of violence, and health conditions such as arthritis, degenerative bone disease, and cancer.
Spinal cord injuries are serious medical conditions that can lead to severe morbidity and permanent disability, and occur when the axons of nerves running through the spinal cord are disrupted, resulting in loss of motor and sensory function below the level of injury, according to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Spinal cord injuries usually occur as a result of major trauma, and primary spinal cord injuries are often irreversible.
Check ABP Live's stories explaining the science behind various health phenomena, and the articles appearing in the weekly health column here.
Spinal cord injuries are costly and disabling especially when they affect patients aged less than 30 years. This is because these injuries act as a significant functional impairment for the remainder of the individual's life, and put the individual at risk for other complications, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Spinal cord injury is estimated to have a lifetime economic impact of two to four billion dollars.
According to Hauptman, O'Brien, Wolf & Lathrop, a personal injury law firm, spinal cord injuries are serious because the brain and spinal cord together form the central nervous system, and any damage to this complex system disrupts movement and sensation throughout the body, and prevents the brain and body from communicating effectively below the level of the spinal cord injury.
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A severe spinal cord injury is one which results in paralysis, a condition in which the brain cannot communicate with the rest of the body through the spinal cord, and is characterised by a loss of motor function and sensation below the level of injury.
Spinal cord injuries can be diagnosed through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which shows the brain and spinal trauma from injury, vascular irregularities in the spine, bleeding and inflammation that might compress the spine, herniated discs or problems with the cartilage located between the vertebrae, and injuries to the ligaments supporting the cervical spine, among others. Computerised tomography, which detects bone fractures, bleeding, and spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, and X-rays, which can detect misalignment of the vertebrae, and fractures within minutes of injury, are also used to diagnose spinal cord injuries.
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How are spinal cord injuries treated?If someone suffers from a spinal cord injury, emergency personnel at the accident scene place a rigid collar around the neck of the individual on a backboard to prevent further damage to the spinal cord, or give sedatives to relax the person and prevent movement. In some cases, a breathing tube is inserted when the person suffers from breathing problems, or their body does not receive enough oxygen from the lungs.
At the trauma centre, immediate treatment includes realignment of the spine using a rigid brace or mechanical force as soon as possible to stabilise the spine and prevent additional damage; use of spinal decompression surgery to relieve pressure within the spinal column days after the injury; and surgery to remove fractured vertebrae, herniated discs, bone fragments, and other objects pressing on the spinal column, among others.
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Spinal cord injuries may result in breathing problems, pneumonia, circulatory problems, stiffness in muscle tone, and autonomic dysreflexia, a life-threatening reflex action that affects those with injuries to the neck or upper back, and is characterised by symptoms such as flushing, sweating, a pounding headache, a sudden increase in blood pressure, goose bumps on the arms and legs, anxiety, and vision changes. Spinal cord injuries can also lead to pressure sores or pressure ulcers, which are areas of skin that have broken down due to continuous pressure on the skin and reduced blood flow to the area, bladder and bowel problems, decreased sexual function and fertility problems, depression, and intense neurogenic pain or burning and stinging sensations.
When spinal cord injuries occur between the C1 and C4 segments, the person may have difficulty breathing because the nerves in that region cause the diaphragm to move and the lungs to expand, and injuries in that region can disrupt these functions. Therefore, when spinal cord injuries lead to breathing problems, the person may require a breathing tube, or special training regarding breathing and swallowing.
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In some cases, people with spinal cord injuries may suffer from pneumonia as a result of which they may require a ventilator, or should take precautions to avoid food and liquids from being sucked into the lungs.
Circulatory problems such as unstable blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood clots may appear days after a spinal cord injury. Since blood flow in the large veins in the legs becomes stagnant after a spinal cord injury, the chances of developing blood clots increase. Therefore, such people may be given anticoagulant drugs and compression stockings to increase blood flow in the lower legs and feet, and reduce the risk for blood clots.
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Stiffness and changes in muscle tone may occur because reflexes become exaggerated over time.
People with autonomic dysreflexia must be kept in a sitting position to keep blood flowing to the legs and feet, and reduce blood pressure.
Pressure sores usually occur in people with paraplegia (paralysis in the thoracic region due to damage to the spinal cord below the cervical area but above the waist) and tetraplegia (paralysis from the neck down, in the arms, torso, and legs, due to an injury high on the spinal cord, or in the cervical region). Such individuals must move and change their position periodically, either with the help of assistive devices, or a caregiver.
People with spinal cord injuries who suffer from intense neurogenic pain must undergo treatments such as medications, acupuncture, spinal or brain electrical stimulation, and surgery.
When a spinal cord injury leads to bladder and bowel problems, people should change their diet, and learn new ways to empty their bowels.
Science advances that can cure spinal cord injuries in the futurePeople with spinal cord injuries can also enrol themselves in rehabilitation programmes which include physical therapy to strengthen muscles, occupational therapy to redevelop fine motor skills and to cope with stiff muscles, autonomic dysreflexia, and neurogenic pain, vocational rehabilitation to identify basic work skills and cognitive capabilities that support paid work, and identify potential workplaces that will be required for a user-friendly workplace, educational training to develop skills for a new line of work, and recreational therapy to encourage people with spinal cord injuries to participate in sports, arts, and leisure activities.
The lives of people with spinal cord injuries can be improved through supportive braces, electronic simulators, neural prosthetics, which are assistive devices that may stimulate the nerves to restore lost functions, wheelchairs, assisted training with walking, and computer-assisted technology such as computer adaptations and adaptive devices which can help with communication skills like writing and typing.
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Most spinal cord injuries are irreversible because of the inability of the spine to generate new nerve cells, and the inability of injured nerve cells to easily regulate themselves. Therefore, spinal cord injuries usually lead to permanent paralysis or sensory deficits. However, some science advances may help people completely recover from spinal cord injuries in the future. These include regenerative therapies, neuroprosthetics, and gene therapy, among others.
"Spinal cord injuries may be very difficult to recover from, but it is still very difficult to say that they are completely permanent. Nowadays, the majority of these injuries are irreversible, but ongoing research might find remedies for this. The main limitation of spinal cord injuries is the irreversibility of the inability to generate nerve cells. Normally, nerve cells on the injured segment do not easily regulate themselves. That is why, people who are diagnosed with this damage usually suffer from permanent paralysis or sensory deficits. Nevertheless, today's scientific and technological advancements may discover some comprehensive treatments for spinal cord damage. Scientists are working on various techniques like regenerative therapies, neuroprosthetics, and gene therapy," Dr Neeraj Kumar Tulara, General Medicine & Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital, Powai, told ABP Live.
Scientists are working on the regeneration of nerve cells in the spinal cord, said Dr Tulara. "Stem cell testing has given a ray of hope while in animal investigations and human trials."
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Dr Tulara explained that neuroprosthetics, which are new technologies such as brain-computer interfaces and neural implants, are being explored to bypass injured spinal cord segments. Such neuroprosthetics may allow communication between the brain and the body, and restore movement.
"Genetic engineering techniques are also under investigation in order to promote nerve cell growth and repairment in the spinal cord," said Dr Tulara.
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Exoskeleton and rehabilitation are also helping people with spinal cord injuries. This is because the use of advanced exoskeletons and continued rehabilitation programs are helping them regain some independent movement, said Dr Tulara. "These scientific investigations give a sense of hope and promise for the future of spinal cord injury treatment. Researchers are working hard to find any reliable technique for regaining lost function and improving the condition of people suffering from paralysis attacks. Until then, these assistive technologies, physical therapies, and rehabilitation are the common ways for helping people regain consciousness and get back to their old life happily."
A medicine called Riluzole has also shown promising results in treating spinal cord injuries. Epidural electrical stimulation, in which the region around the spinal nerves in the lower back can be stimulated, is being explored to see if it can be used to improve the lives of people with spinal cord injuries.
"The prognosis of spinal cord injury not only depends on the level of injury but also on the time taken to start the treatment. In case spinal cord compression is seen during investigations, then surgical decompression should be done as soon as the patient is stable enough for the surgery. Permanent changes can develop in the spinal cord if there is intrinsic damage to the cord or decompression is delayed. In such cases, the spinal cord injuries usually do not recover. A timely decompression can provide the best opportunity for spinal cord function to recover. There is a great deal of scientific work in progress in the hope of getting a cure for spinal cord injuries. There are several trials and multi-centric research studies evaluating the role of newer medicines such as Riluzole which have shown some promising work. Cellular regenerative therapies, including stem cells, have not yet shown any great results in terms of significant functional recovery," Dr Tarun Suri, Head, Department of Spine Surgery, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, told ABP Live.
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He also explained that several spine associations, including the Association of Spine Surgeons of India, have issued position statements in the past to warn people against the dangers of unauthorised use of stem cells for spinal cord injuries. "Several other technologies to rehabilitate spinal cord injury patients are also in the research phase, such as epidural electrical stimulation, exoskeletons, body weight supported treadmills and virtual reality."
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