What are the symptoms of brain metastases?
Approximately two-thirds of brain metastases are symptomatic at some point. Symptoms are caused by: 1) increased intracranial pressure, and/or 2) focal irritation or destruction of brain tissue. Increased intracranial pressure can be caused by tumor growth, swelling (edema) induced in the adjacent brain tissue, obstruction of cerebral spinal fluid pathways (hydrocephalus), or a combination of these effects. Typically, patients may experience non-specific symptoms, such as headache, nausea, vomiting, mental status change, and lethargy. Focal irritation or destruction of brain tissue produces varied symptoms, such as seizures, paralysis, visual impairment, epileptic seizures, gait disturbances or other neurologic deficits, depending on the specific location of the metastatic lesion.
