This is a form of tumor in which malignant cells begin to grow in the tissues of the brain. Gliomas are tumors that start in brain cells called astrocytes. Astrocytes nourish neurons and form scar tissue when the brain is damaged. Visual pathway gliomas and hypothalamic gliomas are rare.
When a glioma develops along the optic nerve, which relays messages from the eye to the brain, the tumor is called a visual pathyway glioma. These growths can also arise from the hypothalamus, a small part of the brain that is located near the optic nerve. The hypothalamus regulates body temperature, the cardiovascular system and food and water intake. These tumors grow slowly.
Half of patients with visual pathway gliomas are less than 10 years old. Ninety percent of people with this disease are diagnosed before age 20.
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