Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCauses and TypesDiagnosisTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes and Types

Diagnosis

Treatment

If you have neurological symptoms, it is important that your healthcare providers determine whether you have a brain lesion, how many you have, and the type because the treatment and prognosis of each type of brain lesion differs.

Rafe Swan / Getty Images

Brain lesions can often be detected with brain imaging studies

Brain Lesion Symptoms

The effects of brain lesions correspond to the area of the brain where they are located. Usually, the region of the brain where a lesion is located will not function as it normally would.

Symptoms can be gradual or sudden and may be intermittent or constant. Each type of lesion has an emblematic pattern when it comes to the timing of symptoms.

Common symptoms of brain lesions may include a combination of general and focal symptoms.

General Symptoms

General symptoms include:

Focal Neurological Deficits

Focal neurological deficits include:

A large brain lesion may cause head pain along with substantial focal neurological deficits (such as weakness of the face, arm, and leg on one side). Multiple lesions tend to cause behavioral changes, cognitive changes, fatigue, and/or dizziness along with one or more focal neurological deficits.

The different types of brain lesions are each associated with certain causes and risk factors.

Stroke

An interruption in blood flow within the brain can cause astroke, which is a small or large area of brain damage. Risk factors include heart disease, high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, and high cholesterol.This lesion usually consists of a central area of ischemia (death of cells due to deficient blood supply).

Demyelination

A more serious condition,progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), is considered a demyelinating inflammatory response to a virus that is usually harmless. PML generally affects people who are severely immunocompromised, and it has a high mortality rate.

Infection

Bacterial, fungal, viral, or parasitic brain infections can cause one or more areas of damage and inflammation. Many types of brain infections can resolve with appropriate treatment.

Inflammation

Inflammatory lesions in the brain can develop due to conditions likelupus,sarcoidosis,therapeutic brain radiation, and more.

Cancer

Brain tumors and metastatic tumors from elsewhere in the body can cause one or more lesions throughout the brain. The cause of brain tumors is usually unknown. Tumors that metastasize and cause lesions in the brain may have known risk factors. For example, smoking increases the risk of lung cancer,which can spread to the brain.

Vascular

Blood vessel problems such asbrain aneurysmsandarteriovenous malformations (AVMs)are usually idiopathic. They can be congenital (present from birth) or develop later in life.

These lesions can cause focal neurological deficits when they are small, but they may cause rapid bleeding and severe swelling in the brain if the malformed blood vessels bleed—and could lead to death.

Contusion

Head trauma can lead to a bruise in the brain, which may cause a combination of generalized and focal effects. Contusions in the brain usually partially or fully heal over time. However, repeated blows to the head with multiple lesions can causechronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), with persistent changes.

Hemorrhage

Bleeding in the brain can cause a hemorrhagic lesion. These lesions are more life-threatening than non-hemorrhagic lesions. A number of problems can lead to hemorrhagic lesions, including a bleeding vascular malformation, hemorrhagic conversion of an ischemic stroke, brain tumors that bleed, and head trauma.

Atrophy and Ventricular Dilatation

Sometimes the brain can shrink in size due to damage or dying of the brain cells. This is usually a result of dementia or extensive strokes.This can lead to enlarged spaces within the skull, often noted as atrophic lesions.

Congenital Malformation

Developmental compromise during fetal development can lead to lesions in which areas of the brain are shaped differently than they would be in a healthy brain. Sometimes these malformations lead to impaired physical and cognitive deficits and seizures.

Congenital malformation of the brain can result from genetics or issues such as toxins or insufficient oxygen supply during fetal growth.

The diagnosis of brain lesions is based on the history and pattern of symptoms, family history, physical examination,neurological examination, andbrain imaging.

There are several types of diagnostic brain studies and brain imaging studies, and some can detect certain brain lesions, while others are better at detecting other brain lesions.

For example:

Some lesions, such as demyelinating lesions in MS, can come and go on brain imaging, despite persistent symptoms and physical examination findings. But the condition must be controlled even when lesions are not visibly present. Lesions due to trauma may cause symptoms and physical examination changes with minimal imaging changes.

Brain aneurysms and AVMs might not be visible except with vascular studies focused on the specific area of the lesion. Your healthcare provider would order your imaging study based on the findings of your physical examination—which can consist of very subtle changes in the context of vascular malformations.

Brain lesion treatment depends on the cause. Some lesions, such as infections and cancer, can be treated with medication with the goal of a complete cure. Vascular malformations may need to besurgically treatedto prevent a rupture. Other lesions, such as demyelination and chronic inflammation, are managed and controlled with medication, but they are not typically curable.

And lesions that cause permanent damage, such as brain contusions, infarct, and hemorrhage, are not curable—but the effects should be managed with rehabilitation. Various types of therapy—physical therapy, speech therapy, cognitive therapy, and more—can help in the recovery and maximizing abilities.

Rehabilitation After Brain Damage

A Word From Verywell

Lesions in the brain usually cause symptoms and can cause lasting damage unless they are treated. Brain lesions can occur for a variety of reasons, and once you know which type of brain lesion you have, you will know what to expect for the short term and the long term.

7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cedres N, Ekman U, Poulakis K, Shams S, Cavallin L, Muehlboeck S, Granberg T, Wahlund LO, Ferreira D, Westman E.Alzheimer’s disease neuroimaging initiative. brain atrophy subtypes and the ATN classification scheme in Alzheimer’s disease.Neurodegener Dis.2021 Mar 31:1-12. doi:10.1159/000515322Ghandour F, Squassina A, Karaky R, Diab-Assaf M, Fadda P, Pisanu C.Presenting psychiatric and neurological symptoms and signs of brain tumors before diagnosis: A systematic review.Brain Sci. 2021;11(3):301. doi:10.3390/brainsci11030301Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Conditions that increase the risk for stroke.Yukitake M.Drug-induced progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in multiple sclerosis: A comprehensive review.Clinical and Experimental Neuroimmunology. 2018;9:37-47. doi:10.1111/cen3.12440Ali A, Goffin JR, Arnold A, Ellis PM.Survival of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer after a diagnosis of brain metastases.Curr Oncol. 2013;20(4):e300-6. doi:10.3747%2Fco.20.1481van der Horn HJ, Mangina NR, Rakers SE, Kok JG, Timmerman ME, Leemans A, Spikman JM, van der Naalt J.White matter microstructure of the neural emotion regulation circuitry in mild traumatic brain injury.Eur J Neurosci.2021 Mar 23. doi:10.1111/ejn.15199Guo X, Geng Y, Zhang L, Niu S, Xue J.Early diagnosis of brain injury in premature infants based on amplitude-integrated EEG scoring system.J Healthc Eng.2021 Mar 15;2021:6684818. doi:10.1155/2021/6684818

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cedres N, Ekman U, Poulakis K, Shams S, Cavallin L, Muehlboeck S, Granberg T, Wahlund LO, Ferreira D, Westman E.Alzheimer’s disease neuroimaging initiative. brain atrophy subtypes and the ATN classification scheme in Alzheimer’s disease.Neurodegener Dis.2021 Mar 31:1-12. doi:10.1159/000515322Ghandour F, Squassina A, Karaky R, Diab-Assaf M, Fadda P, Pisanu C.Presenting psychiatric and neurological symptoms and signs of brain tumors before diagnosis: A systematic review.Brain Sci. 2021;11(3):301. doi:10.3390/brainsci11030301Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Conditions that increase the risk for stroke.Yukitake M.Drug-induced progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in multiple sclerosis: A comprehensive review.Clinical and Experimental Neuroimmunology. 2018;9:37-47. doi:10.1111/cen3.12440Ali A, Goffin JR, Arnold A, Ellis PM.Survival of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer after a diagnosis of brain metastases.Curr Oncol. 2013;20(4):e300-6. doi:10.3747%2Fco.20.1481van der Horn HJ, Mangina NR, Rakers SE, Kok JG, Timmerman ME, Leemans A, Spikman JM, van der Naalt J.White matter microstructure of the neural emotion regulation circuitry in mild traumatic brain injury.Eur J Neurosci.2021 Mar 23. doi:10.1111/ejn.15199Guo X, Geng Y, Zhang L, Niu S, Xue J.Early diagnosis of brain injury in premature infants based on amplitude-integrated EEG scoring system.J Healthc Eng.2021 Mar 15;2021:6684818. doi:10.1155/2021/6684818

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Cedres N, Ekman U, Poulakis K, Shams S, Cavallin L, Muehlboeck S, Granberg T, Wahlund LO, Ferreira D, Westman E.Alzheimer’s disease neuroimaging initiative. brain atrophy subtypes and the ATN classification scheme in Alzheimer’s disease.Neurodegener Dis.2021 Mar 31:1-12. doi:10.1159/000515322Ghandour F, Squassina A, Karaky R, Diab-Assaf M, Fadda P, Pisanu C.Presenting psychiatric and neurological symptoms and signs of brain tumors before diagnosis: A systematic review.Brain Sci. 2021;11(3):301. doi:10.3390/brainsci11030301Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Conditions that increase the risk for stroke.Yukitake M.Drug-induced progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in multiple sclerosis: A comprehensive review.Clinical and Experimental Neuroimmunology. 2018;9:37-47. doi:10.1111/cen3.12440Ali A, Goffin JR, Arnold A, Ellis PM.Survival of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer after a diagnosis of brain metastases.Curr Oncol. 2013;20(4):e300-6. doi:10.3747%2Fco.20.1481van der Horn HJ, Mangina NR, Rakers SE, Kok JG, Timmerman ME, Leemans A, Spikman JM, van der Naalt J.White matter microstructure of the neural emotion regulation circuitry in mild traumatic brain injury.Eur J Neurosci.2021 Mar 23. doi:10.1111/ejn.15199Guo X, Geng Y, Zhang L, Niu S, Xue J.Early diagnosis of brain injury in premature infants based on amplitude-integrated EEG scoring system.J Healthc Eng.2021 Mar 15;2021:6684818. doi:10.1155/2021/6684818

Cedres N, Ekman U, Poulakis K, Shams S, Cavallin L, Muehlboeck S, Granberg T, Wahlund LO, Ferreira D, Westman E.Alzheimer’s disease neuroimaging initiative. brain atrophy subtypes and the ATN classification scheme in Alzheimer’s disease.Neurodegener Dis.2021 Mar 31:1-12. doi:10.1159/000515322

Ghandour F, Squassina A, Karaky R, Diab-Assaf M, Fadda P, Pisanu C.Presenting psychiatric and neurological symptoms and signs of brain tumors before diagnosis: A systematic review.Brain Sci. 2021;11(3):301. doi:10.3390/brainsci11030301

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Conditions that increase the risk for stroke.

Yukitake M.Drug-induced progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in multiple sclerosis: A comprehensive review.Clinical and Experimental Neuroimmunology. 2018;9:37-47. doi:10.1111/cen3.12440

Ali A, Goffin JR, Arnold A, Ellis PM.Survival of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer after a diagnosis of brain metastases.Curr Oncol. 2013;20(4):e300-6. doi:10.3747%2Fco.20.1481

van der Horn HJ, Mangina NR, Rakers SE, Kok JG, Timmerman ME, Leemans A, Spikman JM, van der Naalt J.White matter microstructure of the neural emotion regulation circuitry in mild traumatic brain injury.Eur J Neurosci.2021 Mar 23. doi:10.1111/ejn.15199

Guo X, Geng Y, Zhang L, Niu S, Xue J.Early diagnosis of brain injury in premature infants based on amplitude-integrated EEG scoring system.J Healthc Eng.2021 Mar 15;2021:6684818. doi:10.1155/2021/6684818

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