Tip

Most tumors are glial origin, except for medulloblastoma (neural origin).

Adult tumors

Glioblastoma multiforme

• A highly malignant tumor derived from glial cells (e.g., astrocytes)
• Most common malignant brain tumor
• MRI would likely reveal a mass with central hemorrhagic necrosis, vasogenic edema, and possible extension to the contralateral hemisphere.

Oligodendroglioma

"O" is like an egg

Eat egg will increase your calcium.

Meningioma

Schwannoma

Childhood tumors

Pilocytic astrocytoma

Eosinophilic fibers with corkscrew appearance (Rosenthal fibers)

Mnemonic

astROSEcytoma

Medulloblastoma

• highly malignant tumor
• Biopsy: anaplastic small round blue cells that surround a central neuropil (Homer-Wright rosettes)

Mnemonic

• Malignant and small blue cells → Med-Blue-oblastoma
• Also remember the “Homer Wright” as “home right”, because the tumor is so malignant that there is nothing doctors can do except for sending patients right to home without hesitation.

Ependymoma

• Biopsy
  • Perivascular pseudorosettes
  • Rod-shaped bodies (blepharoplasts) near the nucleus

Mnemonic

”Momma’s pending gift is pseudo roses” (to make up for being a crap kid)…

Craniopharyngioma

• a benign dysontogenetic tumor arising from a remnant of the Rathke pouch (ectodermal derivative)
  • Rathke pouch eventually develops into the anterior pituitary.
• Biopsy: cholesterol crystals found in a motor oil-like fluid on gross examination

Mnemonic

For Craniopharyngioma what i came up with was “remnants of WRATH” and i imagine a story like thats a gang or a motorcylcist group whose logo is a cranium.

Pineal gland tumors

• Parinaud syndrome, a condition involving the inability to look up.

Mnemonic

• Pineal gland tumors → Parinaud syndrome
• Consider Parinaud’s syndrome when you find someone’s peerin’ odd.