Are the tumours cancerous?
The tumours resulting from tuberous sclerosis are non-cancerous, but may still cause problems. tumours that grow in the brain can block the flow of cerebral spinal fluid in the spaces (ventricles) in the brain. This can lead to behavior changes, nausea, headaches or a number of other symptoms. In the heart, the tumours are usually at their largest at birth, and then decrease in size as the individual gets older. These heart tumours, called cardiac rhabdomyomas, can cause problems at birth if they are blocking the flow of blood or causing severe arrhythmia problems. The tumours in the eyes are not as common, but can present problems if they grow and block too much of the retina. The tumours in the kidney (renal angiomyolipoma) can become so large they eventually take over all of the normal kidney function. In the past, the patient was left until they developed kidney failure. Today, doctors are more aggressive and remove individual tumours before they get too large and compromise health
