THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF TUMOR OF THE BRAIN

Abstract

The diagnosis of tumor of the brain is rarely an easy problem. Apart from the neurologic symptoms, which unfortunately may be at times strikingly indefinite, the presence of headache, vomiting and choked disk go far to suggest the presence of an intracranial mass lesion. Of this triad, choked disk is unquestionably the finding that most strongly indicates the presence of a tumor of the brain. However, in the past two years, five cases have been encountered in the neurosurgical clinic of the University Hospital referred as cases in which tumor of the brain was suspected on the basis of a choked disk, headache and suggestive neurologic signs. Subsequently, a more thorough investigation seemed to prove definitely that vasculorenal disease was the cause of the symptoms. Nevertheless, before this fact was convincingly demonstrated, the neurologic symptoms and evidence of intracranial pressure appeared positive enough in two instances to warrant an exploration