Brain swelling Assessment Questionnaire

Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Brain swelling. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see.

Create your printable checklist by answering questions that your doctor may ask below:

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When did the brain swelling (hydrocephalus) first become evident? If at birth or at a few months of age must consider congenital malformation (e.g. Arnold-Chiari malformation, Dandy-Walker Syndrome, Congenital stenosis of the Aqueduct of Sylvius). If in an older and previously normal child, must consider a posterior fossa brain tumor e.g. medulloblastoma, astrocytoma and ependymoma
What was the rapidity of onset of brain swelling?
What was the rate of progression of brain swelling?
What is the developmental progress in the baby or child?
Is there a history of head injury?
Why: must consider possibility of subdural haematoma as cause of brain swelling.
Is there evidence of dwarfism?
Why: head enlargement may be more apparent than real as there is often a disproportionately large head in relation to the body.
Medications?
Why: steroid therapy and oral contraceptive pill may cause benign intracranial hypertension.
Family history?
Why: of similar illness in older sibling.
Obstetric history?
Why: possible intrauterine infection; nature of delivery (subdural hemorrhage as a complication of forceps delivery or premature delivery can cause later brain swelling).
Are there symptoms of brain swelling?
Why: e.g. In a baby is there failure to thrive in baby, delayed developmental gains, poor head control in baby, poor feeding, or irritability?. In older children are there changes in behavior, a clumsy gait, abnormal speech, tremor and poor co-ordination?. In adults there may be headache, vomiting, blurry vision and poor co-ordination in movement.
Vomiting excessively?
Why: may suggest brain swelling has occurred and progressed more rapidly.
Neurological symptoms?
Why: e.g. poor co-ordination of movement, tremor, seizures.
Symptoms of meningitis or encephalitis?
Why: may suggest cause of brain swelling.
Symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus?
Why: usually in elderly and include dementia, urinary incontinence and apraxia (poor ability to perform voluntary movements).
Symptoms of Benign intracranial hypertension?
Why: usually in obese young women and include menstrual irregularities and blurriness of vision.

Conditions listing medical symptoms: Brain swelling:

The following list of conditions have 'Brain swelling' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Brain swelling or choose View All.

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Conditions listing medical complications: Brain swelling:

The following list of medical conditions have 'Brain swelling' or similar listed as a medical complication in our database.

» Next page: Types of Brain swelling

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