• Brain Tumor - Intracranial brain tumors are abnormal growths caused by cells reproducing in an uncontrolled manner. They occupy space within the structural area of the brain and frequently produce symptoms because they cause increased pressure or swelling within the brain. The location and size of a tumor determine how it will affect thinking, sensory, motor, functional, and behavioral abilities. Treatment for brain tumors can include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Following is the basic classification of tumors:
  • Benign tumors are made up of harmless cells and have distinct boundaries.
  • Malignant tumors are made up of cancerous cells, or, they are benign tumors that grow in a vital area of the brain.
  • Primary brain tumors start in the brain; Metastatic brain tumors start somewhere else in the body and spread to the brain.

• Hemorrhage - Following trauma, bleeding that occurs inside the brain is called intracerebral hemorrhage and is often associated with contusions. Bleeding that occurs outside the brain tissue is known as epidural or subdural hematoma.
  • Epidural hematomas usually occur with skull fractures due to tearing of important arteries. They involve rapid bleeding, under great pressure that compresses other brain structures and are therefore neurological emergencies, requiring rapid treatment, or death will occur.
  • Subdural hematomas usually occur after some form of head injury and involve the veins in the brain. They involve relatively slow bleeding and therefore an extended period of time is often needed to develop a blood mass large enough to cause symptoms. Subdermal hematomas are categorized as acute, subacute, and chronic, depending on the time since occurrence and the severity of symptoms. Chronic subdermal hematomas are most frequently seen in the elderly population and may be caused by trauma to the head that may not be remembered by the patient.

     Cerebral aneurysms are a type of hemorrhage not caused by trauma, but by a weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery which, upon rupturing, results in bleeding which can produce pressure, tissue damage, and swelling. The effects and severity of a cerebral aneurysm depend on its size and location in the brain. To remove the large of mass that has developed, hematomas and ruptured aneurysms frequently require surgery, such as a craniotomy. This procedure involves cutting through the skull and pulling back a position of the bone and attached muscle. There are various ways of surgically entering the skull, and various procedures are performed once the neurosurgeon is inside the brain

     Additional illustrations are available by clicking on What Happens with Brain Injury? and What Types of Brain Injury May Occur?