Abstract
Presented are the findings of 19 brain tumor cases associated with sudden onset of symptoms resembling a stroke. The initial symptoms were sudden onset of headache, vomiting, and disturbance of consciousness, indicating heightened intracranial pressure. Characteristics of these patients included the following : 1) vague personality or mood changes were noted before the episode : 2) the incidence of rebleeding was high ; and 3) hemorrhaging was often provoked by medical intervention (e. g. during surgery involving other lesions or angiography) , or by a head trauma. The possible mechanisms that may have produced these symptoms include : 1) a slowly growing huge tumor or a tumor associated with marked, well compensated hydrocephalus upset the intracranial balance by causing a small hemorrhage : 2) a small hemorrhage may have increased the size of a tumor adjacent to the brainstem and caused severe symptoms, and 3) a massive hemorrhage may have instantly led to a lethal outcome.
