Hemangioblastoma - Diagnosis & Treatment

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How is a hemangioblastoma diagnosed?

Diagnosis involves a combination of clinical assessment and imaging studies:

MRI or CT scan are imaging techniques crucial for locating and characterizing the tumor within the brain or spinal cord.
Genetic testing is used for patients with a family history or suspected von Hippel-Lindau disease, genetic testing can confirm the diagnosis.
A biopsy may be performed to definitively diagnose the tumor type, although this is less common due to the tumor's location.

How is a hemangioblastoma treated?

Treatment for a hemangioblastoma typically includes:

Surgical removal, the primary treatment method, especially if the tumor is accessible and symptoms are significant.
Stereotactic radiosurgery, which targets smaller tumors or in patients where surgery is not feasible.
Monitoring of small, asymptomatic tumors with regular MRI scans to detect growth or changes.

Due to the potential complexity of hemangioblastoma and its implications, treatment often involves a multidisciplinary team approach and long-term follow-up is crucial to monitor for recurrence or the development of additional tumors, particularly in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease.

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