Glossary of terms
Aneurysm
A blood-filled, balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel.
Biopsy
The removal of a small sample of a tumour for examination by a pathologist.
Cavernoma
A small pocket of venous blood. Because it comes from the veins rather than the arteries, it is at low pressure and can bleed and result in epilepsy or other disorders.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
a clear fluid that circulates around the brain and the spinal canal that both nourishes and protects the brain and
spinal cord.
Cranial nerves
The 12 pairs of nerves responsible for various functions, including vision, eye movements, facial sensation and facial expression, hearing, smell, and taste.
Craniopharyngioma
A tumour of the pituitary stalk that most often affects younger patients.
Cranium
The bony covering that surrounds the brain. The skull consists of the cranium along with the facial bones.
Glioma
A brain tumour that originates from nerve cells in the brain called glial cells. There are many different types of gliomas, such as astrocytes, mixed gliomas and optic nerve gliomas.
Hypothalamus
The part of the brain that acts as a messenger to the pituitary gland. It helps to regulate body temperature, sleep, appetite, and sexual behaviour.
Medulloblastoma
A kind of malignant tumour occurs more often in younger patients.
Metastases
Malignant tumours that have spread from another part of the body. They are often known as ‘secondaries’.
Primary brain tumour
A tumour that originates within the brain (such as a glioma) as opposed to metastases or ‘secondaries’, which are secondary to a tumour elsewhere.
Secondaries
Metastases – tumours that are secondary to the original tumour, which is elsewhere in the body.
Thalamus
A small area in the brain that relays information to and from the cortex and translates impulses related to pain, attention, and alertness.
Myelopathy
Myelopathy is a nerve injury in your spinal cord, which is the grouping of nerves that runs from your skull to your tailbone. The condition is caused by compression of the spinal cord, resulting in pain, loss of sensation, or loss of control of certain body parts
Spinal cord tumour
A tumour that affects spinal cord but does not arise from the spinal cord is known as an extradural tumour
AVM
Arteriovenous malformation – often present from birth, an abnormal connection between the arteries and veins in the brain.
Brain neoplasm
Another name for a brain tumour.
Brain stem glioma
A tumour in the brain stem that occurs more frequently in children than in adults.
Cerebellum
An area at the back of the brain that controls balance and body movements.
Cerebrum
The largest part of the brain, which divides into two parts – the left and right cerebral hemispheres. These are joined together by the corpus callosum, which relays information between the two halves.
Ependymoma
A tumour that develops from cells that line both the hollow cavities of the brain and the canal containing the spinal cord. They occur most often in children and are usually benign.
Haematoma
A localised collection of blood outside the blood vessels. In the brain, this is often the result of head trauma or a bleed from a vascular malformation.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Medical equipment that uses a magnetic field to capture a three-dimensional image of the brain.
Meninges
Protective layers of tissue that surround the brain and spinal cord.
Neuroendoscopy
Allows surgeons to work inside the brain with a small incision and minimal trauma.
Pineal tumour
A tumour near the pineal gland, which is located deep within the brain. There are many different kinds of pineal tumours, some malignant and some benign.
Residium
The part of a tumour that can’t be removed and is left in place. The reason is usually that it is usually wrapping an important blood vessel. If the residium regrows, it can often be treated with stereotactic radiotherapy.
Stereotactic radiotherapy
A method of delivering highly focused radiation to a single point on a tumour site while avoiding healthy tissue. It is painless and does not create a wound.
Vascular tumours
Haemangioblastoma, rare benign tumours that arise from excess growth of blood vessels of the brain and the spinal cord.
Prolapsed disc
A prolapsed disc is sometimes called a herniated disc. The bulging disc may press on nearby structures such as a nerve coming from the spinal cord. Some inflammation also develops around the prolapsed part of the disc.
Meningioma
A meningioma is a tumour that forms on membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord just inside the skull. Specifically, the tumour forms on the three layers of membranes that are called meninges. These tumours are often slow-growing. As many as 90% are benign (not cancerous) however they often need to be removed because of the increased pressure and pain they cause.Benign
A tumour that does not spread to nearby tissue or to other parts of the body and does not destroy the tissue around it. However, even a benign brain tumour can cause serious problems due to its location or size as it may cause increased pressure in the head or impair functional areas of the brain.
Brain stem
The brain stem is the most primitive part of the brain and links the cerebrum to the spinal cord. It also controls vital functions such as breathing and blood pressure control.
Clinical trials
Studies where patients test new treatments and therapies for their safety and effectiveness. Participation is voluntary and you have to meet certain criteria in order to be enrolled.
Computed tomography (CT)
A scanning tool that combines X-ray with a computer to produce detailed images of the brain.
Functional MRI (fMRI)
A technique that helps to pinpoint the functional areas of the brain and helps neurosurgeons to plan incisions, skull openings and tumour removal.
Haemorrhage
Bleeding. Inside the brain, it is usually referred to as a ‘cerebral haemorrhage’. It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as trauma or a stroke due to hypertension.
Malignant
Cancerous tumour – may spread into nearby tissue or travel to other parts of the body and destroys tissue around it as it grows and spreads.
Meningioma
A tumour in the meninges. They are usually slow-growing, benign and seen more often in females.
Pituitary tumour
A tumour within the pituitary gland. Because the pituitary gland supplies a wide range of hormones, a tumour in this site can result in a wide variety of symptoms, including amenorrhoea, galactorrhoea abnormal body growth or hyperthyroidism.
Schwannoma
A tumour that is usually benign, can affect balance and hearing, and may cause facial paralysis.
Stereotactic surgery
A sophisticated, computer-based form of surgery where surgeons use 3D images of brain to precisely guide them to the tumour site.
Ventricles
Four small cavities within the brain where cerebrospinal fluid is produced.
Spinal stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine. Spinal stenosis occurs most often in the lower back and the neck. It can cause pain, impaired nerve function, and even nerve damage if left untreated.