This pleasant 67 year old man was seen with a large right temporal brain tumour. The tumour had caused weakness of the left side of the body and he had also gradually become unconscious. He had been in another hospital for a month while awaiting transfer to India for treatment. The scan showed severe intracranial pressure and I felt that he would not survive the flight abroad. Clinically, he was neurologically debilitated and moribund. We admitted him and treated for a week on steroid therapy to reduce the intracranial pressure. We subsequently proceeded with surgery.
The operation: Right temporal craniotomy and COMPLETE excision of the tumour. We also excised the involved dura mater and replaced with artificial dura. A post operation CT brain scan confirms complete excision. He has improved significantly since the operation and was discharged home in good condition.
Points to note: He was being managed in a hospital for weeks with a large brain tumour and significant raised intracranial pressure. The hospital had no neurosurgeon available and never bothered to refer him locally. They were keen to plan transfer to India. He would not have survived the flight.
The unknown fact is that many Nigerian patients with tumours and cancer are best treated here especially if the condition is severe. Many die on the way or soon thereafter. Of course, many are packaged and returned back home if no treatment can be offered.
Advice: It is always best to get an opinion from a specialist here first before traveling abroad. Use the ABUJA HEALTH CARE DIRECTORY to find a suitable and qualified specialist.
Can you spot the tumour?
It is about half the size of the brain on the right side (on your left). The brain on that side has been compressed and its function impaired by the weight of the tumour.
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Following the operation, the tumour is gone and the brain is re expanding.
Interesting.. I am glad more and more qualified doctors are returning home. Where exactly are you based in abuja? My daughter has an umbilical hernia can you recommend any specialist in Abuja.?
ReplyDeleteHey! I am glad to stop by your site and know more about meningioma. Keep it up! This is a good read. I will be looking forward to visit your page again and for your other posts as well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about meningioma.
ReplyDeleteNinety-two percent of meningiomas are benign, with 8% being either atypical or malignant.
Approximately 96% of meningiomas occur within the skull, with the remaining 4% involving the spinal column. Meningiomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor, accounting for 34.4% of all such tumors. A primary brain tumor originates from the brain, spinal cord or associated tissues (called the central nervous system or CNS), while a secondary brain tumor arises from cancerous cells that have spread (metastasized) to the CNS from elsewhere in the body.