eMedicine Specialties > Neurology > Neuro-oncology

Benign Skull Tumors: Follow-up

Author: Draga Jichici, MD, FRCP, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology and Critical Care Medicine, McMaster University, Canada
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Oct 13, 2009

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

Inpatient care is not usually required unless skull-base surgery is needed for nerve decompression.

Further Outpatient Care

  • Postoperative care
  • Radiation therapy

Complications

  • Cranial nerve palsy
  • Recurrence
    • Desmoplastic fibroma - 20-30%
    • Giant cell granuloma - 12-16%
    • Aneurysmal bone cyst - 40-50%
  • Wound infection
  • Malignant transformation

Prognosis

  • Prognosis is good if tumor is resected completely.
  • In malignant transformation of fibrous dysplasia and Paget disease, the prognosis depends on the malignant tumor that is finally diagnosed.

Patient Education

  • Reassure patients regarding the benign nature of the tumor.
  • Educate patients with Paget disease and fibrous dysplasia about the malignant potential of their disease.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to recognize signs and symptoms
  • Failure to treat appropriately
 
Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author Efstathios Papavassiliou, MD to the development and writing of this article.



More on Benign Skull Tumors

Overview: Benign Skull Tumors
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Benign Skull Tumors
Treatment & Medication: Benign Skull Tumors
Follow-up: Benign Skull Tumors
Multimedia: Benign Skull Tumors
References
Further Reading

References

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Keywords

skull, tumor, aneurysmal bone cyst, bone-forming tumor, chondroma, chondroblastoma, chondromyxoid fibroma, connective tissue tumor, desmoplastic fibroma, dermoid, encephalocele, eosinophilic granuloma, epidermoid, fibrous dysplasia, giant cell granuloma, Gardner's syndrome, Hand-Schüller-Christian disease, hemangioma, lymphangioma, Maffucci's syndrome, McCune-Albright's syndrome, meningoencephalocele, nonossifying fibroma, Ollier's syndrome, ossifying fibroma, osteoblastoma, osteoid osteoma, osteoma, pacchionian depression, venous lakes of the skull, xanthoma

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Draga Jichici, MD, FRCP, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology and Critical Care Medicine, McMaster University, Canada
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Spiros Manolidis, MD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology and Neurological Surgery, Columbia University
Spiros Manolidis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Auditory Society, American Head and Neck Society, American Medical Association, Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Society of University Otolaryngologists-Head and Neck Surgeons, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

Jorge Kattah, MD, Head, Program Director, Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria
Jorge Kattah, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American Neurological Association, and New York Academy of Sciences
Disclosure: Biogen Honoraria Consulting; Bayer Corporation Honoraria Consulting

Chief Editor

Tarakad S Ramachandran, MBBS, FRCP(C), FACP, Professor of Neurology, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, State University of New York Upstate Medical University; Chair, Department of Neurology, Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital
Tarakad S Ramachandran, MBBS, FRCP(C), FACP is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Pain Medicine, American College of Forensic Examiners, American College of International Physicians, American College of Managed Care Medicine, American College of Physicians, American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Royal College of Surgeons of England, and Royal Society of Medicine
Disclosure: Abbott Labs  Honoraria Consulting; Teva Marion Honoraria Consulting; Boeringer-Ingelheim Honoraria Speaking and teaching

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