World Brain Tumor Day: Brain tumor can take away eyesight! Do not ignore even the slightest problem

Brain tumor can affect many functions of the body and one of the most serious problems is blindness. There is a link between brain tumor and loss of eyesight, it depends on the location, type, size and growth rate of the tumor. It is very important to understand how brain tumor causes blindness and what damage it can cause, so that it can be detected at the beginning and proper treatment can be done.

Dr. Kamal Verma, Director of Neurosurgery at Fortis Escorts Hospital (Faridabad) said that the visual pathway of the brain is a network, which starts from the eyes and goes to the occipital lobe located in the back part of the brain. The tumor can reduce eyesight by pressing or spreading to this entire pathway, optic nerve, optic chiasm, optic tracts and visual cortex. For example, optic nerve gliomas are tumors that form specifically on the optic nerve and gradually reduce vision as they grow. Similarly, tumors in the pituitary gland located near the optic chiasm can compress this important junction (where the optic nerves partially cross) causing bitemporal hemianopsia.

Symptoms and signs
Blindness caused by brain tumors can present in a variety of ways depending on the type and location of the tumor. Symptoms can include blurred vision, double vision (diplopia), partial vision, or total blindness in one or both eyes. Patients may also experience visual field cuts, where parts of their field of vision disappear. These symptoms often develop gradually, but can sometimes occur suddenly, especially if the tumor causes sudden pressure changes in the brain.

Treatment
The main goal of treatment is to remove or reduce the tumor to reduce pressure on the visual pathway and prevent further vision loss. The treatment method depends on the type, size, location of the tumor and the overall health of the patient. If the tumor is within reach and operable, surgical removal of the tumor is often the first line of treatment. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be used to shrink the tumor or treat malignant cases. In addition, targeted therapy and immunotherapy are emerging as promising new approaches to treating certain types of brain tumors.

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