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Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
About me
With 11 years of experience in the medical field, I am dedicated to the field of surgery, working to relieve patients' suffering.
Proficient in diseases
Specializes in the treatment of cranial injuries, hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, various cranial tumors, and the diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases.
Voices
Can hydrocephalus be treated?
Hydrocephalus can be effectively treated. Patients with hydrocephalus should first visit their local hospital for a cranial CT scan, and consider undergoing an MRI if necessary, to determine the primary causes and severity of the hydrocephalus and decide on the next treatment steps. For patients with underlying diseases, proactive treatment should be targeted at the cause, and effective surgical removal should be considered for intracranial space-occupying lesions. Patients with resistant hydrocephalus are advised to undergo regular check-ups and follow-ups, and for those with progressive obstructive hydrocephalus where the ventricular system is gradually expanding, surgical treatment is recommended.
How is neuroblastoma diagnosed?
For patients with neuroblastoma, diagnosis is primarily through the symptoms, signs, detailed physical examinations, medical history inquiries, and most importantly, radiological data, which includes CT scans or MRI of the head. Definitive diagnosis requires surgical removal of the tumor. A small amount of tumor tissue is retained after excision and used for pathological examination to confirm the diagnosis. Neuroblastoma is categorized as an epithelial-like malignant tumor, indicative of a high degree of malignancy. In most cases, early in the disease, the tumor adheres to surrounding tissues, which greatly complicates complete surgical removal, and most patients have a poor prognosis.
Is hydrocephalus serious?
Hydrocephalus is relatively serious. When hydrocephalus occurs, it gradually affects the patient's motor functions of the limbs, causing weakness in one or both sides, difficulty in lifting, walking impairments, difficulty performing fine motor actions, and ataxia. It may even lead to frequent falls. Additionally, there are significant cognitive impairments, characterized by reduced intelligence levels, decreased computational abilities, and even certain degrees of language dysfunctions. Patients may also exhibit significant personality changes, such as feelings of anxiety, depression, apathetic expressions, and a dislike for communication and interaction with others.
What should I do about a pituitary tumor?
When a pituitary tumor occurs, we generally recommend surgery as the treatment method. Of course, specific analysis should be done based on the individual circumstances of the patient before surgery. In cases where the tumor is small and there are no obvious clinical symptoms—discovered incidentally during other related examinations—such patients can temporarily take medication and should be closely monitored with regular follow-ups to observe any changes in their condition. However, for patients who have clear clinical symptoms and display endocrine hormone imbalances, such as men experiencing significant erectile dysfunction and women having menstrual disorders, surgery is generally recommended as the treatment method.
Can pituitary tumors cause headaches?
For patients with pituitary tumors, headaches may occur. Most patients in the early stages often experience mild headaches located behind the eye sockets, the forehead, and on both sides of the temporal area. These headaches are generally tolerable and occur intermittently. They are mostly caused by the stimulation of the tumor or the increased pressure inside the sella. When the tumor enlarges to a certain extent and breaks upward through the diaphragm sellae, headaches are often alleviated. However, if the tumor further grows into surrounding tissues, it might compress important blood vessels and nerves, resulting in recurring pain with increasing severity.
Is glioma a terminal illness?
Glioblastoma is not an incurable disease. Patients with glioblastoma have a type of malignant tumor that tends to grow rapidly. These tumors often adhere to surrounding brain tissue in the early stages, making complete surgical removal difficult. If any glioma cells remain after surgery, the tumor tissue will gradually grow over time. Thus, patients with glioblastoma are prone to recurrence, but it is not an incurable disease. If early detection and surgical removal can be achieved, and supplemented by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it can maximize the therapeutic effects of the surgery, thereby effectively improving the prognosis and delaying the progression of the disease. This approach can relatively extend the patient's lifespan, and some patients may even achieve long-term survival.
What to do if a pituitary tumor recurs?
If a pituitary tumor recurs, there is no need to worry excessively. Instead, it is advisable to actively visit the local hospital for a cranial MRI with contrast to determine the specific location and severity of the recurrent pituitary tumor. Treatment plans should be decided based on the patient's condition. For patients who are eligible for surgery, it is recommended to opt for surgical removal of the pituitary tumor again. If the patient is elderly and frail and cannot withstand surgery, conservative treatment is recommended. Treatment can be carried out through medication or radiation therapy, among other methods, to help improve symptoms and enhance the quality of life.
Is hydrocephalus easy to treat?
For patients with hydrocephalus, it is generally recommended to treat the condition surgically. Before the surgery, the patient should undergo a cranial CT or MRI to assess the type and severity of the hydrocephalus. If possible, a lumbar puncture should also be performed before the surgery to determine whether there is a significant increase in intracranial pressure, and a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid should be collected for routine and biochemical analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid. If there are no obvious contraindications to surgery, clinically, it is generally recommended to choose a ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery. Most patients respond well to the surgery, and the morphology of the ventricular system gradually returns to normal.
Can a pheochromocytoma be treated without surgery?
For pheochromocytoma, it is still best to receive surgical treatment. Conservative treatment through medication alone has limited effects. In most cases, gradually increasing blood pressure leads to serious symptoms or signs in the patient, such as palpitations, shortness of breath, labored breathing, chest pain, accompanied by profuse sweating, and even severe panic and feelings of impending doom, posing serious life-threatening risks to the patient. In terms of treatment, it is advised to prioritize surgical removal of the tumor, as this can fundamentally lead to a complete cure. Additionally, appropriate medication can be used before and after the surgery to assist in treatment.
How does neuroblastoma heal itself?
Neuroblastoma cannot completely heal by itself. Once neuroblastoma is detected, patients should be promptly taken to local hospitals for treatment, be hospitalized, and undergo skull CT or MRI scans. If necessary, enhanced MRI scans can be conducted to clarify the current location of the tumor and its relationship with surrounding tissues, and to determine the surgical plan. The tumor should be completely removed through surgery. After the surgery, a small amount of tumor tissue should be kept for pathological slides to assess the need for radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or other related treatments based on the results of the pathological examination. For some elderly and frail patients who cannot tolerate surgery, Gamma Knife treatment can also be considered.