A patient with a brain tumor may present with a psychiatric disorder. A careful neurologic examination should be part of the assessment of a psychiatric patient.
The impact of the brain tumor depends on:
(1) number of lesions
(2) rate of growth
(3) location
A slow-growing brain tumor may cause symptoms for some time before the tumor is suspected.
Diagnosis can be a problem if there are no or minor neurological findings present.
Psychiatric disorders may include:
(1) schizophrenia or other form of psychosis
(2) change in personality
(3) depression or bipolar state
(4) bizarre behaviors
The patient may respond to psychiatric medications or may show resistance to their effects.
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