How is a definitive diagnosis of a brain tumor made?
Any of the above symptoms may lead your doctor to perform a study that produces an image of the brain. The most commonly used method to do this is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This imaging technique can produce highresolution images of tumors, and can provide some information on the nature and behavior of a brain tumor. However, as with the symptoms listed above, a variety of other diseases can also produce changes on the MRI that can resemble a brain tumor. Ultimately, making the diagnosis of a brain tumor requires examining the abnormal tissue shown by the MRI under a microscope. This is routinely done by performing a brain biopsy, in which a neurosurgeon removes the abnormal tissue from the brain and has it evaluated by a neuropathologist under the microscope. A variety of sophisticated tests can be performed on the tissue to not only identify what type of tumor is present, but what types of treatment are most appropriate.
