13. What is the result of a space-occupying lesion of the postcentral cortex?
Correct answer: A lesion of the postcentral cortex may produce loss of fine discrimination and of stereognosis.
12. What does a bitemporal hemianopia indicate with regard to the location of a space-occupying lesion?
Correct answer: The lesion is at the optic chiasma.
11. What does upper motor neurone weakness indicate with regard to the localization of a space-occupying lesion?
Correct answer: This may indicate a lesion of the pyramidal pathway.
10. How dangerous is the papilloedema caused by raised intracranial pressure?
Correct answer: This may be accompanied by blurring of the vision and may progress to permanent blindness.
9. What are the characteristics of vomiting caused by raised intracranial pressure?
Correct answer: Vomiting often occurs with no preceding nausea.
8. What type of headache is characteristic of a raised intracranial pressure?
Correct answer: The headache may be severe, often present when the patient wakes and is aggravated by straining or coughing.
7. How can raised intracranial pressure enlarge the head?
Correct answer: This can occur in children before the sutures have fused.
6. What is the result of a rapid rise in intracranial pressure?
Correct answer: A rapid rise in intracranial pressure results in a clinical picture of intense headache with rapid progression into coma.
5. What are the main clinical features of a slowly progressive rise in intracranial pressure?
Correct answer: (1) Headache: may be severe, often present when the patient wakes and is aggravated by straining or coughing.(2) Vomiting: often without preceding nausea.(3) Papilloedema: which may be accompanied by blurring of vision and may progress to permanent blindness.(4)…
4. Can you give an example of a situation in which a space-occupying lesion will produce clinical features of raised intracranial pressure rapidly?
Correct answer: For example, a tumour in the posterior fossa may rapidly present with severe symptoms of raised intracranial pressure secondary to hydrocephalus.
